We all have our insecurities. When I was just me, I was insecure about all sorts of things: my looks, my abilities, my friendships my future…
As a new mom, I fear I won’t be good enough for my daughter.
The thing about insecurities is that they can keep us from doing things we might truly enjoy.
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Before I got pregnant with Squiggles I did an exercise on visually trashing my insecurities. I was so over my desperation and insecurity of not being a mother, that I needed help to be one, that I spent some time reflecting on all the events that had transpired during our season of infertility. To say those long years were challenging is an understatement, but I realized I was holding on to my insecurities and it was making it difficult for me to move forward.
Ultimately I believe this exercise helped me to put aside all things that I believed the world—society, our culture, family, friends—was telling me I should be and remind myself that these labels don’t define me.
And they don’t define you either.
Take some time this week to practice trashing your insecurities. Here’s how.
1. MAKE A LIST
It is a great self-care exercise to help you identify the areas and concerns in your life that are holding you back from being the best version of YOU right now in life.
I started out by cutting out words and images from magazines I had lying around the house. Since not all the magazines included messages that reflected my insecurities and concerns, I decided to write those ones down myself.
2. MAKE A VISUAL
After identifying my words and images, I taped some of these on a trashcan I had and put the rest of the words inside it.
You could also get a poster board or a piece of cardboard and make a collage too. Think of this as an anti-vision board experience.
3. TRASH IT
That’s right, trash it. Trash the insecurity collage you just created. Cut it up, rip it to shreds—do to it what you WON’T let it do to you.
Since it was such a great summer night when I did this, I decided to take this exercise one step further and burn my insecurities. If you decide to dispose of your insecurities this way, please take EXTRA CAUTION!
Trashing my insecurities was liberating.
It’s a great image for me to look back on and see how I can (and DID!) overcome these things and keep on living—and not just living, but living a life where I am not held back.
I hope you set aside time to reflect on what is holding you back, and then find a way to visually trash it all. And do it as often as you need to.
We are always improving and becoming better versions of ourselves. Don’t let ANYTHING stop you!
