My darling daughter,
As humans, there are times when we feel we aren’t good enough and it’s absolutely normal to have these moments of self-doubt. When we look around us during these times, it may seem as though everyone else is doing better than us.
But are they?
You’re familiar with the phrase: “the grass always looks greener on the other side,” however, oftentimes, perception is not reality. If one doesn’t confide in you about intricate details of their lives, you’ll always assume that they must be having a swell time compared to the difficulties you may be facing.
In this era of social media where everyone has their seemingly great lives on display, it is easy to confuse their highly censored outputs and narratives and photoshopped images as depicting their real life. It is worth noting that people use these social platforms, to showcase the “best parts” of their lives – their posh car, exotic holiday location, the beautiful weddings and great honeymoons, well-furnished homes, fancy clothes, et cetera.
But, my dear, these are only edited highlights. They don’t show their tears, worried faces, moments of grief or depression, angry bouts, et cetera.
Don’t let these “fictitious” posts that you read and see on social media from friends, colleagues, family and associates fool you into thinking that your life is lagging.
If you don’t have the “right” job, relationship, or fancy lifestyle by a certain age, it does not mean that you are “not good enough,” or that you will not have them in due course. As Henry David Thoreau said, “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however, measured or far away.”
Step to your own music my dear; you are the best of the best.
Love you always
Dad