Last weekend one of my friends asked me to tell her something she could improve on about herself. I didn't want to answer because the last thing I want to do was is insult them when I absolutely adore them. I would feel way more comfortable giving her a list of all her strengths. But, she persisted that I answer, so I did. She wants to grow and wants to know in what areas she could improve. Would you dare ask someone that? I thought it took tremendous guts. Some people have the philosophy, "this is who I am, like me or not" but I truly admire those who want to keep becoming their best selves and are willing to change. Don't get me wrong, I don't think people should strive to be perfect. How boring would that be? The big question is, which quirks should we embrace within ourselves and which ones should we overcome? I think the answer lies in how it is holding you back in your life or negatively impacting your relationships with others. Are your anxieties/phobias/issues limiting you? If you were told you only had one year to live, what would you regret if you didn't achieve/accomplish? Don't you find it inspiring when people push themselves to grow and try new things? I love surrounding myself with people who are positive by nature, enthusiastic to try new things and are excited about their life.
My biggest list topper has always been to work on my confidence. A lack of confidence can make you believe that every negative thought you have about yourself is a truth and can distort your sense of who you are. It makes you afraid to take chances, on account you might fail. I'm happy to report that being a mom has been a great help in improving my confidence. Each time Stella and I go out together and encounter a new situation, meet new people, or if she has a meltdown in public and I handle it with ease, it adds another building block to feeling more confident about myself. It makes me want to get out there and try more new adventures with her. Children pick up on their parent's anxieties/insecurities/etc. so for my daughter's sake, I want to continue to grow to be the best possible role model for her. What's your "thing" that you'd most like to improve upon?
2 comments:
Hi Kelly, I loved this post as this is something I have been thinking about often lately. I have always generally been a positive person but lately too often I let my insecurities and anxiety get the best of me, undermining my sense of self. Luckily, with lots of thinking and work on these issues, I am slowly coming back to be who I am and I feel so relieved! Lots of it has to do with trying different things and getting out of my comfort zone, but also with "embracing my quirks" and sharing with the world things about myself that I have always kept well hidden, for fear of not fitting into a general model. There is a lot to improve, but I am happy of what I achieved already.
Thank you so much Mariella! I'm so glad you are embracing your quirks and letting the world see how wonderful you are! You are so kind for your message. It is very inspiring. xo
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