Caution: Contents are Fragile

I meet and/or chat with lots of people every week. These smart, fun, intelligent, hard working, sharing and caring people are fabulous to be around. Therefore, when I hear some of their “background” stories, I am amazed at the ways they have overcome (and are still trying to overcome) adversities in their lives that are often caused by those closest to them.

I have asked an innocent question, like, “why do you feel that way?” and the response brings on a sudden outpouring of emotion, often tears, and a heartfelt need to explain what happened to them recently – or long ago – to instill in them a distinct feeling of inadequacy, low self esteem, or a deep-seated feeling that they will not succeed no matter how hard they try. These are the affects of things done and said to them by moms, brothers, sisters, husbands, uncles, and other family members and friends… the people who are closest to us.

You’d never know it by looking at them or having a casual conversation with them.

Just realizing that each of us carries around the remains of what has been done or said to us is a good step in overcoming our feelings that we are not ‘good enough’, ‘strong enough’, or “enough enough’. Success breeds success, and every little thing we accomplish should be celebrated to our own standards and not the expectations of others.

Feel good about you.

The poster below speaks eloquently – that Albert Einstein was a smart guy, huh. (And under- appreciated by his family!) (Many thanks to the anonymous provider of the artwork accompanying  the quote! I found it on Facebook and it was not given credit.)