The Distortion of Authenticity

"Find in yourself what you love in others."

Sometimes, your own mind can be your worst enemy. Why is it that as individuals we hinder our own ability to succeed, through self-doubt, diminishing self-confidence and putting ourselves down? I read a quote today that said: "Find in yourself what you love in others."

It resonated with me because it made me realize how easily we overlook other individual’s imperfections but are so critical of our own. Why do we view others and what they do as ideal, but ourselves as tainted, broke, and imperfect? We magnify all that is wrong with us through a distortion mirror. We seek to mold ourselves into a form we weren't meant to fill by imitating everyone around us except ourselves. We view being ourselves as bad but as others good, without a single thought as to who created these standards?  Why is being ourselves not enough?  Why do we continue to hold on to masks that aren't true to who we are?  I wish I could spend more time reflecting on the parts of myself I love, the edgy, quirky part of me that screams different but shines brighter. The part of me that wasn't designed to be a copy or an imitation, the part of me I am self-conscious about and hide from the world. I want to get to know "me" again, embrace it and introduce it to the world.

What's stopping me? What's stopping you?

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash