So here's the thing.
Chances are, your day today wasn't the worst you've ever had. Maybe it has been utterly terrible, so bad that I can barely even comprehend what's happening in your head right now, and if that's the case I don't want to trivialise what's happened. But the fact is that, if it is the worst day ever, tomorrow has to be at least a tiny bit better, right?
It's okay to be sad, or angry, or stressed, or scared, no matter what about. It's okay to cry easily. It doesn't make you pathetic, or immature, or over-dramatic.
It's okay not to cry, too. It's okay to feel numb when you go through tough times. It doesn't make you selfish, or cold, or weird.
All of it. It's all okay.
You've made mistakes, sure ... but that's what makes you human? There's this amazing quote from J.K. Rowling:
It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default. ~ J.K. Rowling
Maybe you've heard it before, maybe you haven't. But I guess this is what I think it means.
It means that when you fail, you just have to take a second to dust yourself off - then go out there and fail all over again. It means that if you're scared of doing something in case you fail, you're just being scared of the next step in your life.
So go ahead. Sign up for that class you think you might crash and burn in. Try out for a play or sports team just because you can. Ask that cute human out, just so you can see what happens.
(By the way, I'm probably a hypocrite to tell you this. I've teetered on the edge of doing stuff because I was terrified of it going wrong. But when I did? Most of the time, it was pretty awesome.)
And hey, if you fail to even try those things? Just pick yourself up and try trying again tomorrow.
I guess what I'm trying to say here is that you - no, really, YOU - are awesome. Maybe the stuff you've done in the past wasn't that awesome, but back then, even fifteen minutes ago, you weren't the same person you are right now. Because I'm also guessing that if you're reading this, you want the confidence to make a change, right?
And if you just need the confidence to stay who you are, and to keep living your life, you're still awesome. Just because.
You're awesome because someone out there loves you for who you are, and really, someone does. If you don't think you know them right now, you probably just need to think harder and be a little nicer to yourself.
You're awesome because you have talent. Everyone has talent at something, be it ... art. Or ... science. Or looking after babies, or drawing manga or looking after your friends or ... I don't know. Writing pep talks. Again, if you can't see that talent? Be a little nicer to yourself!
Mostly, you're awesome because you're YOU. You're utterly unique and there's no denying that fact. There's no use you trying to be something you're not, because then the world will be missing the influence of an amazing person who's trying to do a job someone else has already got covered. Oscar Wilde probably said it better:
Be yourself; everybody else is taken. ~ Oscar Wilde
So here's the thing. I could go on for hundreds and hundreds of words about how you, personally, are awesome, and then do that again six billion times. But you know I'm not that patient, and because I don't know you nearly as well as the people who truly love you, I wouldn't even scratch the surface of said awesomeness. You're just going to have to trust me that just because you're not flawless - and remember that I consider that a compliment because flawless is the highest level of boring - doesn't mean you're not absolutely, irrefutably awesome.
Now go out there and fail, you awesome soul.
I really hope the people who needed this today saw it, because it's brilliant. ;) I love Oscar Wilde quotes. :)
ReplyDeleteI recently stopped considering some people as friends and, suddenly, I feel so much more confident in myself and more content with my life. :D
Aww - brilliant? Thank you so much, Rain! I love Oscar Wilde quotes too - I think my favourite is probably his dying words "either that wallpaper goes, or I do". Do you have any in particular you like?
DeleteAs for your "friends", I've always found that if you're more content with someone out of your life, they probably don't need to be in it. I'm glad you feel happier now :D
Forever and always in love with that J.K. Rowling quote. I can be a big chicken when it comes to stepping out of my comfort zone, but it's exciting when I do it and I didn't die of embarrassment or something else that's horrible. Great post!
ReplyDeleteOooh, I'm basically in love with everything that comes out of J.K. Rowling's mouth - say what you like about Harry Potter, but she's one of the most inspiring authors I've ever come across. I'm a pretty big chicken too, to be perfectly honest - I wrote this piece just as much for myself as I did for anyone else.
DeleteI'm really glad you liked it!