The Truth About Insecurities

The truth about your insecurities is that there’s someone who admires you because of them!

Adult acne has been a recurring issue since my junior year of college. Sometimes I go long stretches of time with clear skin only to break out again due to life stresses and hormones. My best friend often tells me that she can tell how I am doing in life based on the appearance of my skin. I am thankful to be in a good place at this time.

I have invested so much time and money over the years to address skin issues, only to be met with blank stares from others when I complain about my skin to others. Not only do they not see me the way I do, but they also do not judge me as harshly as I do myself (thank God for that!).

Years ago, my therapist told me that while I look at myself very closely in the mirror, most people only see me from about an arm's length away. Only the people who know me most intimately--my spouse, child, family members, and closest friends--get physically close enough to see what I see. And I think that serves as an analogy for how our insecurities work--most people in our lives are not close enough, physically or emotionally, to examine our insecurities in the same way we do. They see the beauty in them.

I still get surprised when someone compliments my skin when it's not completely clear. Those compliments challenge my perfectionism and teach me to treat myself with more kindness and less criticism--to admire my imperfections the same way I admire others'.