No one can make you feel inferior without your consent

i’ve been thinking a lot about how it is okay to require an amount of external validation. there’s a tendency to label a person who requires such validation as cringe, insecure, not self-assured when it’s more complex than that. without a doubt so important to rely on myself in some capacity for confidence and self love, i need to stop acting so insular and recognize that it’s more than okay to get confidence from others - so long as it’s not a crutch. as someone who has dealt with a lot of insecurity, lately I’ve found more and more that i’m able to extend and believe in myself more because OTHERS believed in me. on the other end of that though, when someone didn’t believe in me, it crushed me - hence the importance of maintaining a decent amount of self-assurance. but being reminded by others how much I have to offer, how much i have to give, reminds me that so many people see me and want to help and it brings out the optimist in me. most adults deal with their own anxieties and self-doubt and I’m realizing more and more that i don’t have to be an island of security because in reality no one is. i can’t say i’ve always thought that and i’m proud of my ability to recognize that i need that maybe more than others and that is okay. it has made more empathetic to giving people the assurance they need and communicating that as often as i can