"Doesn't have to make sense to anyone" - Shark Tank investor Lori Greiner on validating yourself

Shark Tank investor Lori Greiner, in a recent reel on her Instagram, pointed out that in a world where external opinions shape our decisions a lot, it is important to remind ourselves of the importance of self-validation.

She talked about dreamers, creators, or entrepreneurs whose work might not always align with what society expects from an individual. However, she says that personal happiness does not originate from having validation from someone else.

Her reasoning is that success comes from the courage to follow one's true passion, even though there are people who question your judgment. She says that our happiness is not dependent on what others approve. It is often seen that people hold themselves back from pursuing a dream out of fear of criticism or judgment from their close ones.

She says that there will always be noise in the form of skepticism, but it does not matter. The Shark Tank investor says,

"Here's a kind reminder. If what you're doing right now makes you happy, it doesn't have to make sense to anyone else."

---

Shark Tank investor Lori Greiner shares the power of self-validation

Lori Greiner, the Shark Tank investor, advised followers that understanding from others might feel good, but what truly matters when pursuing a new project is the fulfillment and joy that a person derives from it. She explained,

"We spend so much time worrying about what others think, whether it's a hobby you love, or a career you're chasing or a dream you're building. It's okay if people don't get it. They don't need to. Because your happiness doesn't require anyone else's validation."

Navigating the conversation to herself, Lori shares that when she started her business, there were a lot of people who did not understand her. There were even people who "rejected" her idea.

But because she found happiness in her work and inventing new things, Lori continued down the path and kept pushing. Talking about the same, she revealed,

"When I launched my first product, not everyone understood what I was doing. Some people doubted me, some even rejected my idea. But you know what? I kept going anyway. Why? Because being a creator, starting my own business, that made me happy."

By giving her example, Lori suggests that resilience is required to go through all the uncertainty that the external environment might throw at a person. She says that people may doubt one's path, but it should never become a limiting factor in the journey.

Shark Tank's Lori Greiner then called her followers to stop second-guessing themselves. She wants them to truly embrace what makes them happy and then pursue it without any judgment from within.

Commonly, people do doubt their selves, but it could become troublesome if not checked properly. She concludes her idea by saying that life is not long enough to be doing what others want. Thus, it should be lived for everything that makes a person happy.

She says,

"So stop second guessing yourself and honestly, life's too short to live it for someone else. So go for your dreams and do what makes you happy."

Shark Tank season 16 episodes are released weekly on ABC at 8 PM Eastern Time on Fridays. They are later available to watch on Hulu.