Off Track: Who Are You Trying to Impress?

Welcome back to Off Track, the space where I speak unscripted, unfiltered, and share an insight or two. There are no guests, no scripts.This week, I reflect on my conversation with Charbel Khoury and one question that really stayed with me: “If nobody could see what you're buying, would you still buy it?”Who Are You Trying to Impress?For much of my life, I was trying to impress people. My parents, my friends, even girls. Whether it was climbing the corporate ladder, becoming a CEO, buying a new car or showing off something I'd achieved, I was constantly looking for validation from others.But when I left my CEO role, something interesting happened. I went from wanting everyone to see my success to almost wanting to hide. Without the title, I suddenly felt I had less to show off. It made me realise just how much of my self-worth I'd placed in other people's hands.And here's what I've come to understand. People don't really care that much about what you have. They might admire your success for a few moments, but more often than not, it becomes a reflection of what they feel they don't have themselves.The problem with constantly seeking external validation is that it's never enough. You can't keep looking outside yourself to fill what's missing inside.So here's my question to you: How much of what you're doing in your life is genuinely for yourself, and how much is simply to impress somebody else?Honest, reflective and straight off my chest and off the cuff. Welcome to Off Track.