Jaclyn Imondi
Copy Editor/Contributing Writer
I’ll admit it, I’ll be the first to admit it: I don’t give myself enough credit. For anything.
I work hard, but I never think I work hard enough. I get good grades, but my grades aren’t the best. Sometimes, on the occasions when my current situation warrants sympathy from someone, I am reluctant to accept or acknowledge such sympathy, simply because I do not feel worthy of it.
This is all hard to admit, but I think others will relate to the way I am.
We judge other people constantly, whether consciously or unconsciously, and we judge ourselves, mostly unconsciously, just as often. We constantly undermine our accomplishments. We tell ourselves that we could have done better, that we weren’t good enough.
Sometimes we’re not aware that we’re doing it, like when we refuse to accept a compliment or when we jokingly exclaim, “I suck” after spending so much time procrastinating on homework due in just a few hours (a common exclamation in my LC).
We judge ourselves for what we eat, or for what we want to eat, and we judge ourselves when we don’t go to the gym after.
We say these things, to ourselves and out loud, and we don’t realize what we’re doing. We’re degrading ourselves, we’re reminding ourselves that, on some conscious or unconscious level, that we consciously believe that we are not good enough.
But why? Why do we feel the need to put ourselves down? Do we do it so people don’t think we’re too cocky? So people will like us better?
If people are threatened by your self-confidence, then those people might need to work on their own confidence. Someone else’s shine should not dull yours.
I say, let’s stop it, all of it. Just stop. Believe other people when they tell you that you’re having a good hair day or when your professor says that he could tell that you worked hard on a difficult assignment.
Stop the self-deprecation, and start the self-love. I’ve talked about this before, but it needs to be talked about more; we need to be reminded.
We are our own worst enemies, sometimes. That’s no good. We compliment our friends, so why not compliment ourselves?
We encourage our friends to be themselves, so we should encourage ourselves to be who we truly are and do what we want to do, without hesitation or judgment.
So, wake up in the morning, look in the mirror, and tell yourself that you look damn good. Because I bet you any money that you do, and you better believe me.