TESS CARCALDI

Everybody has insecurities. Nobody is 100% confident at all times (if you are, I applaud you). We all have days where we let our insecurities get the best of us. And that’s OK, as long as you know your worth.

But it gets tough when you don’t know your worth. When you don’t know your worth, you let your insecurities run your life instead of owning your insecurities as part of who you are. And when you feel worthless, people can use that against you.

There are just some people in this world who get joy out of pointing out your insecurities to you and making them negative for you. Some people who feel extremely insecure think they’ll feel better if they can make other people worthless. Obviously, these are not the kind of people you want or need in your life, but sometimes they are hard to avoid.

Here’s a trick I learned: when you own your insecurities and lay your vulnerabilities out on the table as simply a part of who you are, there is nothing or nobody who can use them against you. By owning your insecurities and proudly displaying them to others, you say to the world that not only are you comfortable and proud of who you are despite the things you’ve been through, but you’re powerful enough to never let someone else make you feel inferior because you know your worth. 

I know it’s hard to put ourselves and the deepest, darkest parts of ourselves out there, so I’ll start. Some days, I feel lonely because I’m away from my family, my best friends, and my boyfriend. But most days, I feel comfortable being in the presence of myself and know that the distance between me and my loved ones does not make our relationships any less real or deep. Some days, I’m not super happy with the way I look. But most days, I love the skin I’m in and feel comfortable going out in sweats, natural hair, and no makeup. Some days, I think I can be doing more to get myself ahead when I compare myself to my peers. But most days, I’m pretty damn proud of how hard I work toward everything I do. And some days, I feel like I’m not following the same path as others, and that makes me feel insecure. But most days, I’m more than happy to do my own thing and pave my own way–to lead, not to follow.

So here’s to putting out the most vulnerable parts of ourselves out there because they do not own us–we own them. Here’s to telling those small-minded people that they no longer hold any power over us–we hold the power, and we know our worth despite any insecure days we may have.

“No one can make you feel inferior withour your consent.” -Eleanor Roosevelt