You should know: Actions while alone > actions in public. Actions done in your personal time are a larger testament to your character. While alone, we don’t worry about receiving any criticism or praise, we just live. Many of the actions we do away from the public are the base of our characteristics. Why? When we do things in public, we sometimes gage our actions on what reaction we will receive. What you do in your spare time shows what you do based on your own willpower. 

Don’t be burdened with other opinions. People will have their own opinions and will make up their own minds. People can only judge using what they know, then adding assumptions to jump to conclusions. Do not get dragged down by another person’s lacking knowledge of who you are. What you can do is live your life. How you live will either prove or disprove what is being said about you. So, in the end, it is up to you.

 To expand on that idea, who you are on the inside and outside should match, or compliment each other. Life becomes a lot smoother when you live in harmony with yourself. There are times when we have an image of the person we would like to live as, but it does not connect to our actions. Remember: thoughts translate to actions. Many things work from the inside out. This chain creates a path similar to the following:

Internal thoughts → Actions during personal time → Public actions

There are people who only do things for the spotlight. Those people tend to be unreliable and fickle. The actions you do in your spare time are done with willpower, making them more stable. For a better comparison, think of what you do in your spare time as building a habit. Jogging in the morning is something people might not see, or even have knowledge of, but they will see how fit you are. If they do know you run, they might see you as responsible, reliable, resilient, and dedicated. Likewise, many of the well-known people who inspire you are the ones who have practiced often.

 No one is with you all the time, which means they know you by their interactions with you. Since they are not constantly with you, a lot of grey space is left. To make sense of and connect what is known, people will fill that grey space with their own conclusions. People only know you based on what they see for themselves. Along with what they know, people use rumors and other people’s descriptions of you to figure out who you are as a person. 

 Ironically, despite not being burdened with other’s opinions, being mindful of these opinions is helpful. The ways in which people perceive you often spread; people talk to each other. If I said don't focus on how other people view you, that would be ineffective. You cannot let opinions distract you, but you should be mindful of them. If you are seen in a negative light, there may be a huge impact on your professional and personal life. In addition, people use their perception of you to determine how they treat you. Make sure you give the best presentation of the current you.

 Don’t allow the judgment of others to deter you from living your life.