Instagram, TikTok, Beauty Pageants, competitions, TV shows, movies – you name it – they constantly bombard us with the idea of youthful success.
We see so many young people out there, perhaps in their twenties or teen years, who are achieving their dreams and racking up tons of Instagram followers. Then we look at ourselves, feeling as if we took a wrong step. We begin to feel dread in life, to the point where we feel lost in our progress.
There are some days when I constantly feel this way as well. As a child, I was ingrained to be an overachiever. I strived to obtain the best marks and study the hardest. I based my self-worth on my academic achievement and even graduated early from high school.
However, with all that being said, I was hit with many extenuating circumstances.
Throughout my studies, I have suffered through tons of mental health challenges and other personal issues which I felt hindered my progress. To support myself, I had to work multiple jobs. So, I was always on the go, running from one shift to another. Many of these jobs were so-called menial jobs, which made me feel uncertain about my progress.
I began to feel that I was behind and that I needed to move forward. But one day, my coworker mentioned something to me during a shift They told me; “I’m glad to have met you and my other fellow colleagues; all of you are very successful.”
This statement shocked me because I had never heard anyone call me successful. So, I asked my colleague to clarify.
“You’ve done a lot,” they told me: “You worked multiple jobs, acquired a lot of technical skills, and you have graduated from two programs.”
As soon as my colleague mentioned that, I noticed a light at the end of the tunnel.
I have not seen myself as someone with multiple experiences and skills; in fact, I always look at my shortcomings. Fortunately, my colleague could see I am someone who has seemingly achieved and overcome a lot. They saw me as someone with success.
Therefore, as human beings, we tend to focus on our own weaknesses. We belittle ourselves and criticize ourselves for not coming far enough despite what we can achieve. We always point out the negatives in our lives and decide to live off of our criticisms.
However, we often do not realize that others may see us differently. They may look at our strengths and admire our qualities. Maybe, they appreciate us for what we did and value our skills more than we do. From their perspective, we’re who they always wanted to be.
So next time you catch yourself picking out your flaws, know that your flaws don’t define you and your life’s progress. Instead, they may be something others seek inspiration from. You have achieved success.
Featured image via Olena Goldman on Pexels
