I'm right there with you. My head came programmed to look at everyone I meet as automatically better than me, complete with ridiculous justifications as to why. These silly reasonings can range from "oh, she always has hundreds of Instagram likes, she must have more friends than I do," to "that couple is so cute together, I'll never find love," to "his art is beautiful, I’ll never have that kind of talent." Now, the more that I think about it, I know that this is absolutely crazy, but it never really goes away. It’s easy to put myself down and think the worst; these are the things that constantly run through my head. If you're anything like me, you know this feeling all too well.
But you know what, I'm here to let you in on a little revelation. All of you who think that you're nothing special, that there’s always someone better: you’re wrong. You are special. You are successful, adorable, witty, brilliant, kind and most of all, loved. Every single person you meet has a unique perspective, story and strength to bring to the table. Just because a glance into someone else’s life makes theirs seem better, it doesn’t mean that they are superior. The fact that she has nice eyebrows does not make her better than you, nor does your speed reading ability make you better than anyone else.
I tend to come to the conclusion that I'm not special simply because one tiny observation leads me to think someone else is. And, apparently, when someone else is special, I can't be. This is wrong. Everyone has lived a completely different life than you, which can be unfathomable, horrifying and oddly comforting all at the same time. This quote, stating that "seven billion people experienced this day in a different way," explains it perfectly. Today could be life-changing and wonderful for you, but heartbreaking and devastating to the woman in line behind you at the grocery store. It’s up to you to live your own life, rather than obsessing over someone you’ll probably never see again.
We are all special in our own ways. I know that sounds cliche but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Sure, your best friend can be really good at talking to strangers, but you are spectacular at making babies laugh. Our strengths make us special and our weaknesses make us strong. The qualities you hate about yourself are often the very things everyone else loves. You may hate the way your face scrunches up when you smile, but your little sister looks up to you and practices that in the mirror every night. It's easy for us to praise others and hate ourselves for the exact same reason. That is something that needs to change. We need to cherish ourselves; own that new dress, brag about that internship you got, show everyone the A you got on that impossible exam.
Trust me, confidence looks good on you.
You are better than the number of likes you get on a photo, whether or not you're dating at the moment, how many creepy guys "super like" you on Tinder, whether or not your hot professor accepted your friend request on Facebook, how cooperative your hair is, or how many views your Snapchat story got yesterday.
