You can read all the personal development books you want. Psychology, philosophy and more.
You can practice meditation, attend therapy, exercise, writing a journal, eat healthily.
Trying to improve yourself and your lot, to find meaning.
You learn that is important to believe in yourself, find value in your own existence. You are told to value passion, authenticity as path to happiness. That hard work, facing your fears, and persistence are what make success possible
It all makes sense.
Trying to live like that is not so easy. So much of the world seems to be telling us that were not good enough.
It’s all around us.
The self help books that proclaim you have to follow a X step plan, the magazines that profess a perfect body and how you can get it.
We see others on social media, on holiday, at parties, achieving awards, building a thriving business. We are told to emulate Warren Buffet, Richard Branson, Bill Gates.
Society sells us everything we could want and whole lot of stuff we we would never need. By this product and you will become as successful/pretty/charming/smart/wealthy as this perfectly chosen, properly lit, makeup wearing, well dressed model who happens to be on the beach, at a fancy party or on their personal yacht.
It’s hard to find and live with the kind of self esteem that we are told we need to find. Hard when surrounded by so many reminders that we are still not good enough.
So despite all this we need to hear it sometimes.
Yes, we just do.
We need to hear it from someone we know well, someone who’s judgment we trust. A friend, a lover, a colleague.
We need to hear.
That we are a good man or woman.
That we are doing alright.
Because sometimes that can make all the difference. Someone believing in us. Someone who wishes the best for us, and is willing to come out and say it.
Because words do matter, and its nice to hear it once in a while.
Further still it also means, that sometimes we must also say it. Give praise, support, a compliment when we genuinely feel it warranted.
I feel I must must say it, you are doing better than you think.
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