Being insecure is a human condition. All of us fight one type of insecurity or another. Some of us are more prone to be insecure about who or what we are than others, but each of us has to battle some type of insecurity in life.

I am no exception. I’ve always felt socially awkward. I am a natural introvert who has to expend a great amount of emotional energy when I’m placed in a crowd or among strangers. I’ve always been insecure about my ability to blend into a group of new people.

I’m getting better than I used to be, but when I was young I was terrified of unknown social situations. My default setting is to shut down and rarely speak when in a group. It is something I’ve had to work on but I am still continually afraid I will say the wrong thing at the wrong time.

Everyone is insecure about some part of themselves. For some people it’s a physical or mental insecurity. For some people it’s a financial or emotional insecurity. But everyone is insecure in one way or another.

So what can you do to fight your natural insecurities?

 

1. Realize you aren’t the only one who feels insecure.

Everyone you have ever met is insecure about something. Every supermodel, athlete, or actor you have ever seen has had to deal with something they are insecure about in their own life. Everyone who has ever lived (with the exception of Jesus Christ himself) has had to deal with insecurity, so you’re in good company. You aren’t the first to feel insecure and you won’t be the last.

So when you feel bad just remember that most people are far too concerned about their own insecurities to notice that you are feeling insecure as well. People are often too busy worrying about their own faults to worry about yours. So take heart, you aren’t alone in the fight.

 

2. Work to change your insecurity.

If you realize you are insecure about something and you think it needs changed, then work to change it. Avoiding an insecurity doesn’t make it go away. Being afraid of an insecurity gives it more power over you. So if it’s something you can work on, do so. Don’t hide your insecurity. Face it. Fight it. Change it.

You can either let your insecurity drag you down or push you forward. It’s your choice.

 

3. Embrace the thing you are insecure about as something that makes you unique.

If you were the same as everyone else, life would have no flavor. If you were the same as someone else, one of you wouldn’t be needed.  The things that we are insecure about are often the things that make us unique and special. Scars add character. Differences add beauty. Struggles make good stories.

One day you may look back and realize that the thing that made you insecure is the thing that also made you special.