My Journey with Insecurity
The birth, death, and rebirth of identity — what I learned living in constant fear of not being good enough.
Most articles I write are focused on sharing a skill or specific idea. This one’s a bit different. This is a story. My story. As I write it, I’m not exactly sure what I’m hoping to give you, the reader. I guess this one’s a bit more for me.
The birth of an identity
I was raised in a small wheat farming community about 40 minutes from the nearest stoplight. This is one of the first things I tell people when I introduce myself. I lead with that because I think it’s something a bit interesting, a bit different. It’s a little out of the ordinary, and I like that. Also out of the ordinary: I was an only child to pretty conservative parents and was homeschooled for most of elementary school. Later in life, my parents owned a retirement home, and I actually lived by myself in a studio apartment of that retirement home all through high school. I was very used to being by myself.
I had a lonely but safe childhood. Looking back, there were times when we obviously didn’t have money, but I never felt or noticed it. My mom especially was always making sure I had everything I needed to be a happy child. She was always trying to lift me up…
