I am sure everyone is affected by what people say about them. The question is really how much? I would be lying if I said I don't care what others say or think about me. A lot depends on who said it and what was being said. Some people's opinions matter more to me and some people I don't care two hoots what they think or said. Some subjects matter more and some less. 

I am an outspoken person and many times I speak my mind. I tend to offend people sometimes with my sharp rebuttals because I don't sugar-coat my words. This is a lesson that I have learnt (but sometimes old habits die hard). I have learnt that what I say affect what other people think of me. So I am still learning to choose my words carefully but I am not always successful. Everyone likes to hear the good stuff. My mother's advice to me is "If you have nothing good to say, shut up. No one will think you are dumb." I think the trick is if you have to say something not so nice, you can still say it in a nice way. I am still trying to master this art. I remember reading Dale Carnegie's "How To Win Friends And Influence People" and there was this advice about focusing on a person's positive points. So if you see a friend who looks not so nice that day, instead of telling her she looks a mess, look for something positive about her that day and comment on that positive thing sincerely.

Having said all that, I must quailfy that I am not trying to be Miss Congeniality. I am not living my life trying to please others but sometimes it just doesn't pay to be so direct. What do you gain by telling someone that she's fat? Even if she's your friend, she would hate you for saying that. It is so much more pleasant to say "Although you are slighly overweight, you are beautiful inside and that's what truly matters." I have had friends and colleagues who told me (now that they know me better) that they were afraid to talk to me when they first met me. They said I looked fierce and unfriendly and arrogant. Those comments mattered  to me simply because I am not unfriendly nor arrogant. It's just a perception perhaps because of the way I look or perhaps because I am an introvert. I don't really know how to make the first move, the first smile, make small talk. Sometimes I am just too shy to even say a greeting.  

When I tell friends that I am an introvert, nobody believes me. All those Myer's Brigg's type of personality quizzes that I took point to the fact that I am indeed an introvert. Deep down, I know that I am an introvert. I don't make friends easily and I am actually a very shy person. 

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Weekly Photo Challenge

These photos were taken on our trip to Chiangmai, Thailand in 2006. The visit to the elephant park was a highlight of our trip. We have never seen so many elephants in our lives. Hundreds of them and they were not caged or chained.

Elephant bathing

The elephants can paint. The paintings done by the elephants were beautiful. My regret was not buying at least one of them.

We spotted an elephant roaming in the wilds.