People’s opinions can be both helpful and unnecessary

Ithink it’s important to listen to what others have to say, as long as you have the awareness and emotional intelligence to process what they’re saying to you, in a way that serves your best interest.

Everyone has different values, priorities, cultural backgrounds, educational level and personalities, which effect how they think.

If you would like to listen to what others have to say, be very selective and choose only those individuals whose opinions you respect because they are wise, experienced, balanced and mature. These people may include mentors, coaches, inspirational figures and someone in your family or social circle.

Remember that even though family and friends may have your best interests at heart, they don’t always offer the best advice. If you sense this, be willing to look elsewhere for guidance.

Ultimately, I believe that you are your own best counsel because nobody knows you better than you know yourself.

The key is to make time for self-reflection and to engage in a continual process of self-discovery and learning.

When you’re armed with a strong sense of who you are and what you stand for, it will be much easier to know who to listen to and who to ignore. We also need to be humble enough to accept what we don’t know and to seek out others’ help to fill out those gaps in our knowledge.

So my answer is yes, we should care about what others think as long as it enhances what we already know to be true.

From Ms Sushma Shenoy Entrepreneur and lifestyle blogger based in Dubai