Now, as I sit here at 11:00 on a Friday night all alone in my dark dorm room watching basketball I see three words in the above paragraph that should not cross my mind: "Wasn't good enough."
Let me tell you, this was not the direction I expected this blog to go but to be honest I don't think a blog should be planned out; it should be the true thoughts and feelings; something from the heart.
In my life there have been so many times where I have told myself that I wasn't good enough or the effort I put into something wasn't good enough. In different situations in school I look back and remember those projects, especially art projects, where I told myself over and over that it wasn't good enough. I remember in my beginning years of playing sports telling myself that I wasn't good enough to play, that I didn't belong with the athletes, that I would never be good enough to compete. I remember thinking I didn’t do good enough on this assignment or on this test. I didn’t do good enough to make my parents happy. I didn’t do good enough to satisfy my teacher. I remember not only did I tell myself I wasn’t good enough but there were times where others told me I wasn’t good enough.
Sitting here thinking about all the times and situations where I have thought or been told “you’re not good enough” makes me sad. Do you realize how many ways there are to tell someone they “aren’t good enough?” Think about it…sports. For every sport there is some kind of try out. What happens when someone doesn’t make the team? Isn’t that saying, “You’re not good enough to be on this team?” What about clubs and organizations in middle and high school? There are so many expectations and requirements to join certain clubs that the ones that are turned away are told in a more subtle way that they aren’t good enough to be a part of that club or organization. This thought is pounded in our heads in so many ways that it’s hard to think you’re good enough for anything at times. This “not good enough” saying even applies in the college years and even later on in life. Colleges have expectations that must be met to be accepted into the school so what does it mean if you get turned down. Are you not good enough? What about when interviewing for jobs? What if you don’t get the job? Are you not good enough? This phrase even applies to dating. What happens if you get turned down when you ask someone out on a date? Are you not good enough? I think you get the point. There are so many situations where “I’m not good enough” can cross our mind that it may lead some of us down a road of loneliness and low self-esteem. But, you ARE good enough. In fact, you are BETTER than just good enough.
Don't let anyone ever tell you that you're not good enough for something. Don’t let yourself think you’re not good enough. Let’s be honest, we have all been turned down in some way but that does not mean we weren’t good enough. The way I see it is I am me and if someone doesn’t like that it’s their problem. We can’t let the thoughts and opinions of others affect our thoughts about ourselves. People will be people and they’re going to try to tear you down; it’s part of life. It’s not the best part of life but you can either fall to that level of thinking or you can rise above and be proud of who you are. Take pride in yourself, your skills, your strengths, your weaknesses. Yes, your weaknesses are something to be proud of; they are part of who you are. Accept them, learn from them, and make them better because by doing so you are only making yourself into a better person. A while back I found this quote, “Cling to your imperfections; they are what make you unique.” Each and every one of us is different. We all have imperfections; be proud of them. We are all unique and should not be ashamed of who we are.
Remember, you ARE good enough as long as you are yourself. Life is short. Take pride in who you are. “Live every moment. Laugh every day. Love with all you have.”
