First off, I'd like to say "thank you" for opening this article. You are a strong human being.
I recently surveyed people with the following question: "What's your worst insecurity?" Some of the answers included, but were not limited to: "My entire body;" "I can't pick just one... my entire self in general;" "I guess one would be that my personality is annoying;" "My stomach after I eat;" "The acne on my back;" "My weight" and "Just one? LOL!"
On average, people responded to this question with multiple answers in a matter of seconds. Afterward, I asked the same participants what their favorite thing about themselves was and it took at least a couple of minutes to answer, with most only giving one aspect of themselves that they were proud of.
It's quite ironic, because all of the people that I asked are very special to me, and I see none of these things as flaws within them.
The feeling of not being "enough" is a terrible feeling that both men and women, people of all races, genders, sexual orientations, religions, etc. feel.
You are not alone.
In today's society, there is a heavy emphasis on how individuals look, which of course includes what they eat, how they exercise, and what they wear. It seems to many people (including me) that these things are very important at times and it's easy to get caught up in forgetting who you are in order to try to impress someone else. But why do these things matter so much? They don't, or at least, they shouldn't.
"You are enough. You are so enough, it's unbelievable how enough you are."-Sierra Boggess
It's about time that we embrace the beauty of who we really are and not what society wants us to be, so that we will finally feel like we are "enough."
Why do we find ourselves dieting and changing the way that we eat just because we want to look like some model with a sick body? Because we think that everyone will like us more? The truth is that there are always going to be people that are not going to like you. That's something you'll have to accept before you ever start to feel "enough."
Do you remember the first time that anyone ever told you that what you were doing was annoying? The way that your little heart sank because you were just trying to play around and have everyone like you, but you just weren't "enough?" Maybe that was the first time that you felt embarrassed, or your ears turned hot because you just wanted to fit in with the group.
Let me be the first to tell that inner child in you that you are more than enough. All of you, every single part of you is enough, and you shouldn't change what you're doing in order to please other people.
After all, what is "enough?"
The literal definition of "enough" is "as much or as many as required; to the required degree or extent."
Almost every single answer to the question of people's worst insecurity was about a physical appearance, so this is obviously something that we as a whole must address.
To the girl that said that her worst insecurity is her hips, why? Why don't you like your hips? Your hips are strong, your hips keep you standing tall, they give you the ability and muscles to run, jump, walk, climb and virtually hold up your entire torso. Those hips might one day hold you up as you run your first marathon. They may bounce a beautiful, smiling baby on them. They are a part of you, and trust me, you are enough.
To the people that told me that their worst insecurity is their scars, I'm so sorry that they're there. But you are here! You are most definitely the bigger picture and your scars are merely just a detail. They're a part of you that may or may not be here forever. But let me tell you that along with those scars come stories of strength and integrity. Those scars are a way of showing that you are most definitely NOT your past. You have been through it all and survived.
"Perhaps we should love ourselves so fiercely that when others see us they know exactly how it should be done."-Rudy Francisco
One way that I've personally learned to love myself and find myself again was to remember what I used to genuinely loved doing before all of this technological bull crap.
What are your "soul moments?" Did you use to go to the library and love the smell of the pages of a brand new book? Or maybe strumming your guitar outside on the grass with no reason to be playing? Did you love the swing of the bat with the crack of the ball coming off of it? Maybe you loved hearing the ocean crash onto the shore or watching the sun set. If you enjoyed these things at one point, please go and do them again. Think about what you have to be grateful for and count your blessings because there are oh so many to be accounted for.
"Embrace the glorious mess that you are."-Elizabeth Gilbert
We have all made mistakes and we have all faced conflicts, fighting, sorrow, and grief Those things do not take away from our being "enough." They help us to grow as human beings and show even more of who we really are.
We have all been through so much in our time on this earth, some more than others, but each moment and opportunity we are given a fresh start. That's something that many people can take for granted.
I just wanted to remind you that everything about you is so unbelievably "enough" as long as you give yourself the chance to realize it.
