Don't You Want to Hear Something Different?

I think our society is full of people who say things like, "I'm such a hot mess," or "I look terrible today," only hoping the person they're talking to will immediately respond, "No, you're amazing! You have it all together!"

But what happens when someone agrees?

What if they say, "Yeah, you are kind of a mess right now," or, "You could probably do a few things to improve your appearance"?

Ouch.

Even when there's some truth in what they're saying, it can be crushing to hear. We may have been the ones who started the criticism, but that doesn't mean we actually wanted anyone to agree with it.

I know I'm guilty of this. I'm very good at negative self-talk. I can point out all my flaws, mistakes, and shortcomings without needing any help from anyone else. But if someone agrees with those criticisms, it still hurts.

The truth is, most of us are much harder on ourselves than anyone else could ever be. We don't need more people confirming our fears and insecurities. We need encouragement. We need people who remind us of our strengths when we can't see them ourselves.

And maybe, every once in a while, we need someone to tell us we're doing better than we think we are.

Right?

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