All of us have insecurities and some are just good at dealing or perhaps hiding them.
We worry a lot what other people think about us, we worry that we are not achieving our goals and that we will fail.
Now the question is: how do we deal with these insecurities?
What can we do to become ourselves? How can we find contentment and peace?
The answer is not easy, but one has to be willing to face what he or she is afraid of facing.
This means being courageous.
The obstacles
What gets in our way when we are dealing with insecurities? Obstacles are blocking our paths.
Below are some obstacles that block our way.
- A negative self-image. You begin criticizing yourself especially when people criticize you over the years. All these criticisms and wrong comparisons of yourself to others leads to a self-image that is not amazing. We will act according to the image that we portray.
- Past criticisms. We have internalized what went through when we were young like being criticized or bullied. These things affect us and act as obstacles in our lives. They make us feel more insecure when we grow up since we will always be tormented.
- We don’t trust people to stick to us, or even accept us. When people do things, we always think of them as abandonment or rejection.
- Wanting approval. We always feel loved and worthy when someone gives us approval. However, the problem now comes in when we need approval and no one is ready to give it to us. We then fear being rejected and this affects our self-image, this image will then go away.
How to overcome insecurity
The secret is, the obstacles can show us which direction to take.
When you discover that you are being controlled by insecurity, do the following:
- Forget the past. Recognize your insecurity and begin forgiving those who made you feel insecure. Know that it is their insecurities that drove them. They are not perfect. They didn’t do you good but you understand that. Forget the past, holding grudges won’t help you.
- Acknowledge yourself. Take a look at yourself, especially your parts of the body that you dislike. Look them keenly and see if you can send them love. They are not perfect so you should love them with their imperfections.
- Trust that you will be okay even when experiencing all these. Believe that everything will turn out well. You will discover the things you are struggling with and will learn how to work them out. Learn to see what’s slowing you down and shift your perspective.