Believe in yourself. Don’t try to convince others of your worth. Don’t wait for their approval. Your only ‘project’ is you. You for you and me for me. Not for anyone else. By ‘project,’ I mean this: being unapologetically and intentionally you. That’s the work.
It really doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks about me. It matters that I am satisfied with myself…with my decisions, my way of being in the world, my expression of my talent, how I take care of myself, what I choose. That’s it, being satisfied with myself. Needing no title or award, no prize or acknowledgement, no credit for a job well done. I can accept these graciously when they come, but they do not determine my value or worth.
Believing in myself doesn’t mean I’m done growing, learning and expanding. It means I’m okay today as I continue my life journey. It means I am aware of my vulnerabilities and the times I fall short, and it means that along the way I am not so harsh and judgmental toward myself. Satisfied includes accepting me in all my messiness.
When I look inward instead of outward, I encounter a wisdom that guides me. This inward place is where I learn to love myself. Just as I am.
What a relief.
Paula
