Down the Line

No one’s perfect. In our lifetime, we all had our fair share of mistakes. We all have unwanted and undesirable traits. We’ll probably make many more in the future.

But during that spent time, you’ve probably asked yourself this question: do you like yourself?

I am very shy. I can come across as a doormat sometimes. I fidget way too much. I’m forgetful. I’m very clumsy. I’m a pretty slow person. I get nervous very easily. If my mistakes were packages, I’d definitely have to invest in public storage.

Despite all that, I like being me. When I look in the mirror, I give that person a smile and tell him, “You’re doing alright, kid.” Whatever flaws I have, I like to think I have many other accomplishments and traits that I’m proud of.

And to me, I think it’s imperative that you like yourself, because you’re stuck with that person for the rest of your life. I’ve met more people who get stuck in the past, berating themselves about their mistakes and hating themselves, than people who strive to do better in the future.

I’m only eighteen years old, so I have barely any life experience. You may be laughing on how I’m just figuring this out now, or how I’m a young, naïve kid who is just babbling nonsense. But this thought is liberating. It makes me unafraid of the future. I might make a mistake tomorrow, or way ahead from now. And that’s okay. It’s a learning experience. I’ll take those mistakes and mold myself into a better person.

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