Insecurity (noun): Uncertainty or anxiety about oneself based on standards set by the people we interact with, such as our family, friends, and peers, and societal expectations that may be legitimate or perceived
The world is full of judgment but the cruelest of them all is the judgment we place on ourselves that cause our insecurities. Whether its social anxiety, self-doubt or even imposter syndrome, in a nutshell it’s our insecurities trying to make their existence be known. Everyone has insecurities of varying forms which potentially allow self-growth and understanding of oneself. However, if insecurities go unnoticed they have the capacity to translate into to our worst behaviors. Our most deep-rooted insecurities are curated during the fragile stage of childhood where judgments from others can imprint a mark that becomes a crucial part of that child’s personality. If I could list down the instances wherein care-givers/adults have evidently damaged a child’s self-confidence in order to ‘discipline’ them, that list would never end. At that stage, they are just correcting them, but the following years will showcase that lost potential in various ways. In the pursuit of raising children who can fit ‘society’, humans unknowingly steal away their potential to become something better than ‘society’ has ever contained.
The beauty in children is that they are willing to learn, grow and become more likable. So unlike adults, they aren’t able to comprehend the concept of fact versus opinion. For instance, if you tell a child that their weight or appearance would impact their likability or that their academic qualifications impact the complete direction of their future, this won’t be registered as just an opinion, it would become the foundation of their belief system. Insecurities are so difficult to rid of as adults because they are not simply what we want from ourselves, but actually limiting beliefs that act as barriers against achieving what we truly want. The way we react to different opportunities is based on our minds programming which has consistently fed off our deepest insecurities. So when life gives you lemons, don’t always rush to make lemonade; sometimes it’s wiser to find out what’s stopping you from taking a step further and making some lemon tarts instead.