Cutting Yourself Short

Image by alles-schlumpf via Flickr

It seems like everyone has on part about them that they don't like. Whether its because of their physical appearance, a disability, or for no reason anyone, including themselves, knows. But the problem I have noticed that a few people around me have is they let it run their lives. People who dislike themselves may acknowledge they have positive attributes but any emotional impact they have simply gets blocked out. They do not allow themselves to be successful.
The thing that I have noticed about people in high school is a lot of people are in search of love and instead of actually finding love they set themselves up to be hurt more and lower their self-esteem. A lot of people when this happens will turn to the opposite sex because they want to feel wanted and think that having someone want them will make them feel special. In reality most people end up getting hurt worst and lower their standards and settle for lower than they deserve because they have been hurt so many times and they feel like thats the only option they have. Thats how abusive relationships happen is because the person getting abused feels like the deserve it and that this is their fault.
 In other words, if we want to like ourselves we have to earn our own respect. Luckily, doing this doesn't require that we become people of extraordinary physical attractiveness or accomplishment. It only requires we become people of extraordinary character, something anyone can do.
A simple thought experiment supports this notion: think right now of your favorite person and ask yourself, what is it about them that attracts you the most? Odds are it isn't their physical appearance or their accomplishments but rather their magnanimous spirit; the way they treat others. This is the key quality that makes people likable, even to ourselves.
The truth is, we are a much better person than we let ourselves believe. We cut ourselves short by settling for less than we deserve in life. If we just realized that we are special and we are a great person than we can live happier and healthier lives!