Insecurities

“The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel” -Steve Furtick

Imagine you are out at your local coffee shop grabbing a cup of your favorite tea. As you sit down at one of the tables, alone, you see a group of people your age walk in. They are well-dressed and well put together laughing and smiling with the people around them. You are in a sweatshirt and jeans and have hardly put your hair together. The first thing many people may do in this situation is to compare themselves to the people in the group. As we go through everyday life, we find ourselves constantly comparing ourselves to others. We think about what people look like and how people act compared to ourselves. We see people out and about and interacting with others, comparing ourselves to everything. Every last detail. Sometimes, however, what we don’t think about is that we don’t see these people every second of the day. We see them for a short amount of time, acting the way they want people to see them. We hear things about their accomplishments and see them as they want to be seen. In makeup. In carefully selected clothes. Seeing all of this causes little insecurities to fall on us one by one.

 Insecurities may seem like small, harmful things that can be easily dealt with, but in reality, they are so much more than that. Insecurities can push themselves into your mind to the point that you cannot stop thinking about them. Insecurities instill jealousy people. These jealous thoughts can then lead to acting on these thoughts. One example of this is saying bad things about others so that you can look better.  But, in the end, tearing others down isn’t going to make you feel any better about yourself. Spreading lies isn’t going to magically fix your insecurities.

 The only way to stop the plague of insecurities is to stop comparing yourself to others. The only person you see all day, every day is… yourself. The one person that you will be stuck with for the rest of your life is also the one person you can control. Don’t spend your time trying to match someone else exactly. Do not try to look exactly like someone or act exactly like someone. The only acceptable reason to be comparing yourself to others is to improve who you are as a person. Remember that all you see of a person is what they want you to see. Do not compare yourself to what others are doing or let any insecurities from what you see consume you.