People can't get enough of 70-year-old's heartfelt advice to millennials who worry what others think of them

It is not unusual for young people to worry about what others think of them. However, as they gain more experience, they gather a certain insight about life and people in general. A woman–who goes by @foxandfawnwhalley on TikTok–shared a powerful insight, something that could be an important thing for people to hear. It is one thing that she wished she had realized earlier in life. The woman in her late 60s, about to be 70 this December, shared one major wisdom about the life she learned as a 40-year-old.

"The main thing I wished I had known at 30," the text overlay read. The woman greeted the people and shared that she would turn 70 in December of this year, and that made her think about the things she wished she had known earlier in her life. She wished she had known this when she was 30 and married with 3 children. "The biggest thing is that I should have realized is that people aren't thinking about you as much as you think they are." She added, "I used to stress over what people thought of what I wore, what I said, about my accent, every little mistake. But you know what, the truth is that they are [too busy] thinking about themselves to worry about you."

She asked people to think if they had ever spent hours thinking about someone else's "awkward moment." If they hadn't, the others wouldn't think about them either. "So why waste yourself? Why waste time holding yourself back?" She encouraged people to "wear what makes you happy, speak your mind, don't be rude, think before you speak, but speak your mind." She wanted people to take that risk and live their lives for themselves. "Not for others. No matter what they think. No matter who they are." She said the advice would have saved her "so many sleepless nights." She added, "Thank goodness I realized by the time I was 40 that the time I had spent worrying was all wasted. I could then get on with the life I wanted to lead."

People appreciated the woman's advice in the comment section. A person wrote, "First time coming across your videos and you have such a young and bright energy. Thank you! I’m 28 and I needed this a lot. Hugs from Spain, you have a new follower!" @vickyaustin727 commented, "I spent many, many years worrying about pleasing everyone else, about what people thought of me. I’m 41 now, and these past few years, I’ve realized that it’s insignificant!" @westyorkshirejodes remarked, "Oh my god, I adore you. I lost my nanna 5 years ago, so I don’t have any of this advice to refer to anymore. I’ll be coming back to your page for more."

@queentowelie shared, "This is very true, and it’s the same thing I realized in my 30s. I spent a lot of my 20s miserable. 34 now, and I just don’t care anymore, in the best way." @laurakateslee expressed, "I'm 37, and honestly, I still don't feel like I know anything about life. I've definitely realized people are out for themselves, especially since my son was born." @hannah_reeson suggested, "Can you do more of these, please? We’re all here comparing ourselves to everyone else on social media, and it would be nice to hear a life perspective from someone who's older and can now look back."

You can follow @foxandfawnwhalley on TikTok for more lifestyle content.