A lot of us have known one, or a handful of people, who never believed in us. Those people who would have never thought we'd come as far as we have. Everyone looks at this as a bad thing, and these people as bad people, but they actually help make us into who we are today. This is my letter to them.
First of all, I want to thank you.
Because of you, I was given the drive to be better than what I was. Though some of my drive is a personality trait, being doubted just reinforced it. Being doubted and undermined just made me more determined to be better than most people, to be better than them, and to be better than what most people thought. Without my experience, I probably wouldn't be who I am today; I'd be the less driven, less satisfied, more settled version of myself. Someone who never would have challenged herself, someone who never would have left her little bubble. Someone who never would have become as independent as I am now. Someone who might not have ever accomplished her dreams or reached her goals.
Negativity from others gave me the opportunity to turn to God; to build my relationship with Him and strengthen my faith. It seems silly that a little discouragement would have such an impact, but being doubted kept me strong, and gave me something to prove. God was there for me when my friends weren't and people who didn't believe in me were. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be as close to God as I am today. I was also shown who my true friends are, and who truly cares. The people who are always there and who are encouraging, are the ones who stay with you in the end. And if there's one thing I've learned, it's that there is no personality destination - you can always be better, do better, and do more than you are doing right now.
I'm grateful for my experiences. I have grown from negative experiences and doubt, not recoiled into it. Being told that I'm “not” just made me fight harder to become someone who “was” and who “is.”
In the end, I am the winner, I was given the best gift of all; determination.
So thank you for doubting me. Thank you for showing me what I didn't want to be. Thank you for helping me see what I was capable of.