Can you take praise or accept help graciously? Not me, at least not without an inner debate/ struggle over the whole thing. I’ve come to think it’s all part of how I belittle myself. Undervalue would work too.
Another element of the belittling is how I feel I can never do enough. I constantly take on more jobs and projects, more than I can really handle. But, no matter how many balls I’m keeping spinning there is always someone else who seems to be doing more and doing more better than I am.
Then there is the whole thing of comparing everything I do to everything everyone else does. Almost everyone I look at is more capable than I see myself. I read another BW column and feel my own columns are about nothing, not interesting, lacking substance and not about anything important. I see a beautiful quilt and think that I should be doing more of that, I love sewing and quilts have always been my favourite sewing related items. Of course, the whole quilting thing is one more project I put upon myself and never complete.
When I take on so many things I end up frustrated and feeling like I never get anything done, or at least not done on time. If I do meet deadlines I feel I could have done better if I had given myself half a chance. Other people always make quilts, write articles, drive, talk, walk, etc. better and easier than I do. All those ‘normal’ people with their simple, happy, normal lives. I get wondering what I did so wrong that I’m here on the outside looking in. What part of me is it that never fits in?
But, there isn’t any one part. It’s me as a whole. I just can’t seem to get past the feelings of not being good enough. When someone gives me credit for something I did well I try to accept it graciously and not listen to the belittling comments going on in my mind. I haven’t been very successful at taking on less but I know it’s out there so that’s a start.
Some day I’ll figure out how to be ok inside my own skin, how to stop putting down everything I do and accept that I do things well, or at least well enough. Someday I’ll stop belittling myself or worse, waiting for that perfect Mr. Right who will finally make me believe I’m ok. No one will ever make me believe it until I really believe it.
This is my latest BackWash column. Just posting it here as well cause it’s pretty personal. I have no idea why I publish these things on BackWash. Must be yet another twist of character.