You may not be old enough to remember the Saturday Night Live skit with comedian Al Franken as Stuart Smalley. In this farce, Stuart spent time in the mirror proclaiming, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough and doggone it, people like me.” Stuart’s affirmations were a way for him to feel better about himself. The inference was clear that he had to give himself this message because there was no one in his life to validate him. While that SNL spoof was meant to be hilarious, many people struggle with knowing they are good enough for themselves or others.
Are you having this same battle?
We live in a world where so much value is placed upon the image we present, how we live and what we need people to believe about who we are. Sites like Instagram and Pinterest purport that life is one pretty picture after the next. Lavish trips, fine dining and sharp outfits are commonplace for the “elite” people. And if we are to believe Facebook photographs and posts, everyone has a love affair and nobody is ever lonely or mistreated. The truth is, we are all living lives with episodes of serious pain, emptiness and unhappiness. Those messages of truth in our daily lives can lead to depression and not knowing we are worth much to others.
If you are spending your time scrolling through other people’s lives, take note. Ruminating over what people share with the world is one, probably far less than what the truth is for their life and two, robbing you from making moments for you that you can love. Does it really matter that posts are laced with expensive purses when your bag is from Marshalls? Or that a young man eating fresh seafood on the Isle of Capri means your getaway to Ocean City is not valuable? Is seeing a couple kissing and hugging in what appears to be bliss a sign that your life is empty? Wisdom says that comparing yourself to others will not help you to be grateful for what you have. And what you do have is an opportunity to write your own story filled with moments that mean something to you.
Make a commitment to yourself that what everyone else is enjoying is nice, but what you have is also wonderful. Focus on what makes you feel good about your life. Doing that will help to remind you that your $25 purse, a suntan from Maryland and reading a good love story is more than good enough. That is because YOU are more than good enough.
“If you leave it for someone else to determine what you are worth, they will get it wrong every time.” – Me
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