You have what you need.

You know how a few posts ago I wrote about having depression? Well, here is a little update+some things I have learned.

My depression has lessened quite a bit. As long as I maintain the good habits I have developed, I am fine. If I forget to take my meds or get into a negative thinking rut, it's not so good. But I can recover from it. That's the great thing about life-everything is temporary. You can get over things. There is constant renewal and change in life, whether we want it or not. All we have control over is what we do with that change.

Something I have been taught recently is that deep down inside, we all have what we need to find happiness in our lives. We all have the ability to validate ourselves, create inner confidence and peace; we all have an indispensable amount of strength. We all have instincts that are more likely to point us in the right direction, and we all have righteous desires. And deep down inside, I think everybody knows all of this already, they just forget it through all the craziness of life.

I'm trying to remember what I have learned and apply it. I know whatever happens to me is an opportunity of one kind or another, and I am trying to use that knowledge to become more peaceful and confident.

But here's the thing:
Often, I feel so inadequate. Sometimes I feel like so many people I know are ahead of me, like they are suddenly more talented with more opportunities to advance in so many areas than me, without even trying. Everyone else even seems to have better possessions than me. (Deep down I know that doesn't matter one bit, but sometimes I just feel so poor!) I'll be honest, sometimes I even feel like those people are rubbing it in my face. I feel like some people condescend to me. Sometimes, I feel like I am not needed, like my talents are underdeveloped and under-admired. So many of my old friends don't even know who I am anymore.
But, I know it's partially my fault I feel this way. I haven't tried very hard to stay connected to everyone else, and I haven't always made the most of my time. However, I am not going to let that get to me. I am just going to try to improve a little bit at a time. And to anyone reading this that has felt the same about themselves, just know that now you at least know of one other person going through this, and if I can make it, you definitely can. :)

Here is a video that encourages and inspires me from one of my favorite makeup artists, Kandee Johnson: