Self Esteem

Does anyone have good self esteem? I don't think so. Some of us do better than others in certain areas, but I don't think there's anyone I know that isn't plagued by self doubt and fear. I'm not talking about people with no sense of who they are, whose delusional ego makes them blind to how ridiculous they act. I'm talking about all of us, perfectly good, kind, interesting, intelligent, funny, loving, caring individuals that for some reason spend some time each day telling ourselves that there are things wrong with us. Things no one else knows, hoping no one else notices, because if they did they would see how fucked up we really are. We can't even take a compliment if someone offers it because we've been programmed to be humble and downplay our pride in ourselves. We are uncomfortable with praise, afraid of the spotlight when it shines on us with admiration, and conditioned to think it's wrong to think you just might be fucking awesome. Still, with all those chains and anchors of anxiety and doubt weighing us down, we still manage to shine, and rise above the shattered and convoluted picture we have of ourselves. Every one of you inspires and amazes me, every one of you posseses qualities and abilities unique to yourselves. Every one of you deserves to start each day looking in the mirror and loving that badass motherfucker staring back at you. The hell with anyone that ever tried to keep you down, that ever damaged your self worth because they were afraid you might outshine them. Let those wounds heal and display the scars proudly. Kick every negative and hurtful person you've been carrying around all these years out of your head and take up residence there yourself. Turn and stare those ancient and irrational fears that you've been dragging behind you in the eye and watch them wither under your gaze. Realize that we are the only ones that can hold us back, and now that we possess that knowledge, we are free to fly as high as we like, lifted upwards by the love we feel for ourselves.