By Ariel Colhoun Passionate about increasing the sphere of influence for women & driving positive change.
The grass may not always be greener on the other side as an image portrays itself or the mind perceives. So never compare yourself to others by looking from afar or looking at the photos or images you see on social media. Never fall into the trap of making assumptions about anyone. Unless you truly know someone from the inside out, you will never know the inner struggles they have beneath the life they lead. External appearances do not always reflect inner experiences and personal feelings. The veil of happiness, fame and fortune, and all those other trappings that you may be longing for or idolizing, is purely what it is – a veil. We need to get past viewing the world through a veil of human existence. In a world where the soul is eternal, this veil does not exist. It is laid bare for all to see.
You never see what's behind the lens
When you are viewing a picture, or short snippet of a video or live appearance on a social platform, you only see what is at that particular moment in time. You do not see the intricacies of how a person got to be where he or she is now. You do not get to see the path of life choices, obstacles and victories. You do not see the hard work and dedication, the losses and the wins – you only see the end result as you see it at that particular moment in time. That is all you really see when you idolize someone – a particular moment in time.
By allowing your mind to perceive and make subsequent judgement without the full story behind each and every captured moment, you may end up being your own worst enemy. You may end up making assumptions based on things you want to see but may not actually be the case in reality. Subsequently, you may be altering your own personal life choices based on false assumptions – assumptions that are incorrect and may not be clearly indicative of the history behind that particular moment.
Tend to your grass
Grass somewhat resembles human life in the simplest form. It starts from a small seed, has a fibrous root structure, and needs to be constantly tended to. It needs sunlight, nutrients, water, and even to be cut in order for it to grow stronger. Most importantly in order for it to grow, it needs to be generally free of destructive elements such as weeds, disease and bugs.
If you took several random pictures of grass on various days you may find one picture shows the grass to be dried up and brown, on another day the most brilliant green, on another day it may be long and carefree, and yet again on another day, short and lush. You see, each and every moment captured in a picture or video will only be representative of that particular moment in time – not its entire life history.
Grass is commonly symbolic of how we view the lives of others – we only view the surface and never understand the root structure, the soil that it grows in, or how it has been tended to. So I encourage you not be preoccupied with others in an unhealthy manner and the sense of longing for what you may or may not have, but rather use those you idolize as inspiration to follow your own life path constructively.
You hold the power
The best way to boost your self-esteem is to realize you actually hold the power within you to dictate how you feel. Rather than look externally for affirmation from others, turn the tables on your own thoughts, and incite self-affirmation and build your self-confidence.
Confront your doubts head-on and transform them. Give all your self-doubts and fears a renovation or a total overhaul. Learn to turn your insecurities into confidence, have faith in your abilities, and passionately develop your strength and determination.
Self-doubt is more common than you realize and can be draining. If you have it, don’t make apologies or beat yourself up about it. Simply address it and find ways to reduce it. Eliminate all your obstacles, along with the causes, one by one.
All posts are intended strictly for educational purposes. It is not intended to make any representations or warranties about the outcome of any product/service.
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