To the person who doesn’t think they’re good at anything,

First off, you can do anything you set your mind to. I know that might seem unrealistic, but if someone told me I could run a mile, I’d probably respond by saying “Hell no.” It doesn’t mean that I couldn’t actually do it, I just haven’t set my mind to doing it. I know how it feels to never win anything, to never be on varsity anything, and what it’s like to never be seen as successful or powerful, but rather just someone who likes to have fun.

I struggled with this a lot when entering college, especially during my first few months. At first, a lot of the people that I met assumed that I was dumb, which I have never been referred to as for my whole life. I may be many things, but dumb was not one of them. I started questioning why I was never perceived as “Most Likely To Be Successful” and was instead always something that had very little impact. I began confusing myself with who others were perceiving me as, which caused me to question my identity.

I am not dumb. I am not an airhead. I am not weak. I am not "just a pretty face."

I am smart. I am brilliant. I am powerful. I am much more than what I seem, and it took being called all those names to finally realize who I really was.

People are allowed to have perceptions and first impressions; after all, it’s human nature to make assumptions about others when getting to know them. People are also allowed to be wrong about you. However, do not allow others perceptions to change how you view yourself. That’s their opinion, not yours.

If you find yourself questioning what you’re good at, ask someone who really knows you. Just because one person’s inability to see what you’re good at, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist.

Sincerely,

The girl who doesn’t think she’s good at anything, but knows she can do everything