TOO MANY OF US HAVE MADE IT OUR LIFE'S WORK TO CHANGE SOMEONE ELSE'S OPINION OF US. WE'RE DETERMINED TO PROVE TO THEM THAT WE'RE VALUABLE. NOW, YOU CANT BE LIKE THE GUY WHOSE REMARK WAS, ''I LIKE TALKING TO MYSELF, BECAUSE I LIKE DEALING WITH BETTER CLASS OF PEOPLE.'' BUT NEITHER CAN YOU BASE YOUR WORTH ON THE OPINIONS OF THOSE WHO PUT YOU DOWN. WHEN HARRY TRUMAN WAS THRUST INTO THE PRESIDENCY BY THE DEATH OF FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT, SAM RAYBURN, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, TOOK HIM ASIDE AND SAID, ''YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND YOU. AND THEY WILL TELL YOU WHAT A GREAT MAN YOU ARE, HARRY. BUT YOU AND I BOTH KNOW YOU AIN'T''. AS IT TURNED OUT, TRUMAN BECAME A TRULY GREAT PRESIDENT. UNTIL YOU QUIT AGREEING WITH THOSE WHO'VE MISTREATED YOU, OR BOWING TO THE EVENTS THAT CRIPPLED YOU EMOTIONALLY, YOU'LL REMAIN LOCKED IN A PRISON OF YOUR OWN MAKING. WHEN YOUR CRITIC'S OPINION BECOMES YOUR OPINION, YOU'VE BUILT A PRISON INSIDE YOUR SOUL WITH ONLY ONE PRISONER; YOU. ARE YOU PREPARED TO ACCEPT THAT SOME OF THE PEOPLE YOU'VE SPENT YOUR LIFE TRYING TO IMPRESS, MAY NEVER BE IMPRESSED? AND CAN YOU ACCEPT FROM GOD'S PERSPECTIVE: IT DOESN'T MATTER? TO SUCCEED IN LIFE YOU MUST BE ABLE TO WORK ALONGSIDE PEOPLE WITHOUT ALLOWING YOURSELF TO BE CONTROLLED BY THEIR MOODS OR GOVERNED BY THEIR OPINIONS. THIS WHAT PAUL WAS TALKING ABOUT WHEN HE SAID, ''AM I NOW TRYING TO WIN THE APPROVAL OF MEN, OR OF GOD? IF I WERE STILL TRYING TO PLEASE MEN, I WOULD NOT BE A SERVANT OF CHRIST.''