"Finally I am coming to the conclusion that my highest ambition is to be what I already am. That I will never fulfill my obligation to surpass myself unless I first accept myself, and if I accept myself fully in the right way, I will already have surpassed myself."— Thomas Merton
I've come to realize that trying to be someone whom I'm not, is a big waste of effort. Plus, being who I already am is pretty darn good. My challenge has always been other people. I observe them and I think, " why can't I be more like them? They are so much prettier/smarter/funnier/more awesome than me! Hurumph!"
The other key, I've realized, is that you never (never) know what is going on in someone else's shoes. While you think that they have it all together, they very well may be frustrated with their position. They may not think they themselves are pretty enough, or smart enough, or good enough, etc.
I can't tell you how much time I've wasted thinking about other people. The good news is, the more I think about the things that matter, the less crappy I feel. Direct correlation. Now, if only I could train myself to ignore those feelings of inadequacy more often. I'll keep working on it.
