Everyone Has Insecurities
This blog is a labour of love, and it will always be free. Over 1,000 people read every post which is incredible. And if just 100 people donate €2 it means that I’ll be able to continue doing all of this for another year. So if you like the work, it would mean the world to me if you considered making a donation. Thank you to everyone who already has this year. There’s no expectations, as ever, and I hope you have a lovely week. Donate here
There is also now a Thoughts Too Loud Podcast!
Everyone has insecurities. We tend to make ourselves believe that they don’t, but they do. Everyone’s brain is as full as our own. Their lives are as complex as ours, and so there are things they’re also dealing with that they don’t talk about. We tend to see our own problems as bigger than everyone else’s, well, because they’re our problems. And everyone else feels the same way. Nothing is more prominent than the tribulations facing us directly.
Like for example, I often feel as though I am disliked and unwanted. I feel like this among certain social groups here in Barcelona, but I also feel like this within the writing community at times. I feel as though the gates have been closed to me, that my work isn’t respected, that nobody wants me to take up space.
This is an insecurity. It is rooted in a distorted perception that was formed at a time of low self-esteem. While there may be some truth to what I’m feeling, for the most part it is exaggerated, not the full story, self-centred. Many insecurities are like this – they’re not as big or as true as they seem.
However, in moments of low self-esteem insecurities like these can wreak havoc on my mental health. They can alter my behaviour, cause me to see proof of the insecurities in the most subtle of interactions. It can really cause a lot of distress and anxiety.
But I’m not gonna end this blog by giving you some magic way to get rid of insecurities. This isn’t some page where I give you ‘5 Ways To Get Rid of Insecurities’. Because mental health doesn’t work like that, and people who make this type of content aren’t being honest.
All I’ll say is it’s good to be aware of makes you feel insecure, because then you can observe how it changes your behaviour, how it affects your life.