Fox
Not everyone is going to like you all the time, and that’s okay.
I genuinely believe that people spend too much time judging themselves on how they believe other people will perceive them. We hold ourselves back from hobbies or experiences we might enjoy because we are afraid that we will be made fun of or end up feeling embarrassed somehow.
Very few things in this world are stronger than the pride of human beings, at least in my experience.
I too am guilty of missing out on things I really want because I am afraid that people will not find me worthy to occupy the space. I, and many other people whether they know it or not, suffer from something called Imposter Syndrome which is just a fancy way of saying that I often don’t feel like I’m talented or smart or capable enough to get the opportunities that I do. It all feels like some sort of fluke or cosmic joke that I could be considered good enough for most anything. I genuinely find myself waiting for Ashton Kutcher to pop out and tell me I’m being punk’d.
Truthfully, I have discovered two things through the process of forcing myself to step outside my box and go for things I want even if my brain is telling me I don’t deserve them. These two things are the golden rules by which I live when I find myself being too critical of my skills or knowledge or talent.
First, there will never be a time when every single person likes you or thinks you’re talented. Think of your favorite musical or visual artist. Consider art so beautiful that it stirs your soul and moves you to tears. Guess what. Someone hates it and thinks it is overrated. There will always be someone in the world who thinks that someone being praised is terrible, but you can’t let the haters stop you from doing your thing, as Kevin Gnapoor says in the 2000s cult classic “Mean Girls.”
The second thing is that no matter how good at something you get and no matter what level of mastery you think you have reached, there will always be someone who you think is better than you. Someone will always sing, speak, or write the way that you wish you could, and it can exacerbate the Imposter Syndrome if you let it. Before you know it, you have let admiration become imitation until you are no longer being true to the talent and skills that you do have. It is important to remember that you have something different and unique to offer that even your greatest idol couldn’t replicate. That’s why you’re valuable.
I believe that at the end of our lives, it will be the things we didn’t do that we dwell on. It will be the opportunities we passed on out of nothing but fear and self-doubt. Remember that you will never know unless you try. You may audition for a cool musical or apply for a job that intimidates you and be rejected, and it is going to hurt. The embarrassment may even feel unbearable, but it will pass. It is better to try and fail than to never have tried at all. Never trying at all is how regret works its way into your life and consumes you. If you give up after one door of opportunity closes, how will you ever find the open window?
So don’t be too scared. Just try. What’s the worst thing that could happen?