Dare Each Day to Be the Amazing Person You Are
I can hear you saying to yourself: Who me? I’m ok, I have some nice qualities, but there’s no way I’d describe myself as a gift.
If you’re one of the many who don’t appreciate how special you are, I wrote this article to shake up your belief system.
Yes, you are a gift. If you’re not yet ready to fully buy into that notion, I encourage you to at least open up your mind to the possibility.
Why You May Not Appreciate How Special You Are
Here are two typical reasons:
Reason #1: You have an active critical inner voice
That voice is constantly monitoring your actions and words. Its fine-tuned radar picks up on the slightest little thing you may have done wrong and turns it into a character assassination — as evidence you’re not enough.
Your harsh inner voice likely came about when you were a kid, as a product of how critically your parents spoke to you.
They may have criticized you for as small a thing as getting some spaghetti sauce on your shirt when you were eating dinner. And your dad shamed you by saying: What the hell is wrong with you. Can’t you eat like a human being! You’re 10 years old already.
Reason #2: As a child, your parents never treated you special simply for being yourself.
Rather, they only treated you special for your accomplishments, such as bringing home straight A’s on your report card or winning a dance competition.
The message you took away from your childhood and brought into your adulthood was that you’re only special for your achievements — such as getting a job promotion a few months after being hired or completing a half marathon.
That’s a very transient form of feeling special, not one you can count on. How will you feel about yourself if you lose your job due to an economic downturn or if you badly injure your back and can only limp around the house at best?
Do you frequently give yourself a hard time? Do you base your self-worth on your achievements?
