Dear you, the girl who doesn't feel smart enough,
Why do you not feel smart enough? That question may be hard to answer. Was it one class? Was it someone's rude comment?
Was it you?
Were you the bully? Did you tell yourself you weren't smart enough because other people seemed so much better than you? Maybe you take longer to understand things that people seem to understand in seconds. Maybe you failed one test and told yourself you were stupid. Well, guess what?
You're wrong.
News flash: You are smart enough. Repeat it until you believe it. Shout it as loudly as you can. I just need you to believe it wholeheartedly.
When you say, "I'm not smart enough," who are you comparing yourself to? In reality, these standards ultimately come from yourself. Sure, society can pressure you into feeling like you have to be perfect. People can put tons of pressure on you and make you feel like one failure is a tragedy.
Erase all of those people from your mind for a second. What do you really think about yourself? If you don't feel smart enough a lot, you probably have really low self-confidence. You expect yourself to be perfect. So many people recognize your worth, and it's about time your recognize it too.
You might be thinking, "It's not that simple." I am not denying that people can make you feel stupid. It's still important to realize, though, that every time we put ourselves down and tell ourselves we aren't smart enough, we are reinforcing that idea.
If you're like me, you've been believing it since you were a child. It's time to let that go.
The next time you fail a test and think that you aren't smart enough, remember that you can feel better about yourself with time. Your thoughts aren't always true. Your mind is lying to you. You are smart enough. You always will be smart enough.
Sincerely,
The Girl Who Was Once In Your Shoes