Insecurities are often defined as a feeling of uncertainty, lacking confidence and experiencing anxiety about one’s self. The only certain thing about insecurities is that EVERYONE experiences them.
We often worry about what others will think of us, whether or not our personal appearance is good enough, if we are all that we can be, whether we will fail or succeed—the list is endless. In our society, we live to portray an image of ourselves that is socially acceptable. Through the use of social media and other means our culture has become oriented around comparison: “Does my body look like theirs?” or “Do I live an ‘Instagram’ worthy life?”.
The question we are now faced with is: how do we conquer the feeling of insecurity?
How do we accept ourselves for who we truly are? How do we learn to see our imperfections as beautiful and unique?
The first step in this process is to make a decision—to make a conscious effort to embrace and accept YOU.
Now, let’s delve into the best ways to deal with insecurities!
Accept you… All of you.
I know, I know… Easier said than done. This is one of the most important things to work on – as hard as it may be we need to recognize qualities that we don’t necessarily like. Being honest with yourself and seeing the imperfections allows you to recognize that you are indeed human. Be compassionate to yourself and reassure yourself that there is always room to grow and improve. Perfection is misinterpreted in our world as something attainable. You must embrace every aspect of yourself and realize that you deserve love and self-worth. These characteristics make you who you are, so don’t hide your magic (who you are in the world). Holding back who you are is a disservice, so be who you are. Embrace it to the fullest potential, say what you want to say, be passionate, be weird, be different!
Practice Self-Love.
We all want to be loved. The desire to have fulfilling relationships is evident in our culture, but we cannot truly experience these emotions and passions until we have those feelings for ourselves. One aspect of self-love is putting up boundaries. If someone in your life is not treating you right and not bringing happiness to you, then you need to protect yourself. Reminding yourself of the positive qualities you have and the things you like about yourself.
Forgive Yourself.
Think about the things you often get mad at yourself for. We often replay situations over and over. You can’t recognize your self-worth when you’re mad at yourself. Often times these so-called “mistakes” tend to be irrational thoughts. We beat ourselves up and give ourselves “negative talk” which hinders our ability to feel secure with who we are. It’s time to let those things go. We need to forgive ourselves for making mistakes. If these mistakes have impacted others say “You’re sorry” and forgive yourself.
Ignore Other’s Opinions.
Often times it is so easy to get caught up in other people’s opinions. Whether it be about you, your career or other life decisions people offer their advice. The important thing to remember is that you know yourself. Deep down you know what you truly want and those on the outside don’t know what’s going on within. The lives of others depicted on social media are often the highlight reel. Nobody wants to air their dirty laundry. Live your life how you want to. Listen to your soul and don’t compare yourselves to others. Recognize that you were designed specifically as you are and stop wishing to be someone else. Embrace your magic.
As Henry David Thoreau once said, “When you bring what is within out into the world, miracles happen.” Whatever is going on within you, whoever you are, put it out there. Embrace your magic because people need that. What makes the world so special is all of the unique people that compose it.
Be the person you were created to be because nobody else can.