Forget popularity. Just do your thing with passion, humility, and honesty. Do what you do, not for an applause, but because it’s what’s right. Pursue it a little bit each day, no matter what anyone else thinks. That’s how dreams are achieved.
What’s something that’s worth working on today, regardless of what other people think? Why is it important to you?So very not me. I've never given a rat's ass what people thought about me. The hard part for me to learn was that I could get really valuable insights into things by hearing what people thought about me. That's subtle, at least for me, so let me spend a few electrons trying to pick it apart.
Growing up, I was a nerd when that wasn't a good thing. I played board games and D&D when those were definitely un-cool. I wasn't good at sports, or other markers of male childhood. I was too smart. If I'd listened to peoples' negative opinions of me and my choices I'd likely have been crushed. If my childhood prepared me for one thing it was that I would never get external validation. It all had to come from inside, and that included IDGAF about others' opinions. SO far, so good.
But there's data out there that point of view misses. As I've said several times in responding to these prompts, a lot of times I find myself as the fish in the water. I don't see what's around me, don't see the distinctions I should make, and don't have good yardsticks for making those choices. External opinion and feedback provides all that. That can range from "you're a geek" - aha, I'm probably trying to be friendly with the wrong people - to "that was a hurtful thing you said" - aha, I need to consider what other interpretations my words lead to.
One way to see this is by analogy: other people are like the glasses I wear. Yes, technically I can see and get around without my glasses. But I miss so much, stumble into things, can't coordinate well, et cetera. People, and their views of me, are like glasses in bringing stuff into focus, showing me things that are right in front of me yet somehow I miss, and so on. I don't mean to treat people like objects, so don't take this analogy too literally, please, but that's one way I can look at it.
As a result of this approach, I don't often find myself working on things that people around me don't think are worthwhile, because I've adjusted to be in spaces and with people who think more along the same lines. I hang out with gamers and geeks. I work on Arisia and my own games. I trade funny stories with other parents and share my efforts at finding relationships with other poly people. The Internet has made this so much easier, but the core concept is the same whether it's an online game or an in-person knitting group. If you're pursuing a passion, there's a value to doing it in an environment where others can appreciate it, even if they don't share it.
Given that, it's hard for me to come up with an example of a thing that's worth working on in my eyes that I don't already find support in doing.
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