Confidence • Insecurity

It’s said that if you want to be better then surround yourself with people better than you. If a runner races against competitors who are slower, they’ll always win, but they’ll never reach their full potential. If they only compete against faster competitors, they’ll always end last, but their athletic performance will accelerate. Surrounding yourself with better people raises your game.

Growing up, I often heard neighboring households shouting, “Why did you do that stupid thing!? Don’t be an idiot!” With such words, we shouldn’t be surprised that society breeds insecurity. When a child is told systematically that they’re stupid, their personality will indelibly be imprinted with a lack of self-confidence. Negativity drags people down black holes. We blame culture, religion, and economics on how we were raised. These naysayers rationalize that perpetual positivity is a false sense of reality. They condone negativity by saying, “The world is dystopian. I’m just being realistic.” They justify their actions by saying, “That’s how my parents did it, and I turned out OK.” Did you?

Confident people surround themselves with positivity. I was raised by parents who refrained from using negative words in our household. If I made a mistake they reprimanded me with, “You’re a smart boy, why did you do that?” For this reason, when I became a parent I consciously chose to “brainwash” my children with positivity. I wanted them to find and nurture their inner strength. What’s the alternative? A lifetime of insecurity? I’d rather indoctrinate my children with the gift of confidence than have them struggle with insecurity their entire lives. Confidence is a rare gift.

I’d rather indoctrinate my children with the gift of confidence than have them struggle with insecurity their entire lives.

Confidence is a rare gift.

In both my career and personal life, 90% of the problems I needed to address were caused, in whole or in part, by insecurity. Through those tumultuous times, I realized that 90% of the people in the world are insecure. These scenarios cascade into a slew of problems:

1. Insecurity causes jealousy because it makes people feel inadequate in their relationships.
2. Insecurity manifests envy because it makes people feel incompetent in their achievements.
3. Insecurity prevents people from loving themselves because they’re fixated on their deficiencies.
4. Insecurity makes people mask what they don’t know because they don’t want to be perceived as stupid.
5. Insecurity makes people hide their mistakes because they can’t face shame and ridicule.
6. Insecurity causes people to treat their success as a glass ceiling because they feel insignificant when others surpass them.
7. Insecurity manifests as FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) because it makes people feel unwanted.
8. Insecurity makes competitiveness precede all friendships because the fear of losing overshadows their vulnerability from solidarity.
9. Insecurity results in exclusively focusing outward, because self-reflection and having to stare into their soul is terrifying.
10. Insecurity causes apprehension in those who question whether this list applies to them.

Confidence can also be a mask. Deep insecurity can manifest layers of confidence through the acquisition of money, power, or fame. But it’s an illusion. True confidence is embedded in one’s personality. Confidence is when you have nothing and still believe in yourself.

I told my children when they were young, “My goal as a father is for both of you to be better than me in every way. My greatest reward as your mentor and teacher is for you to surpass me.” Even as young adults, they have succeeded in every way I could have imagined. 💌

֍ Series ֍ Life • Philosophy • Psychology

• ֍ 1 ֍ Gateway to the Soul
• ֍ 2 ֍ My Biggest Challenge
• ֍ 3 ֍ 35Photo.pro • 35Awards.com
• ֍ 4 ֍ Beautiful Photography
• ֍ 5 ֍ Photography’s Infinity
• ֍ 6 ֍ Fine Arts Reactions
• ֍ 7 ֍ Time Is Relentless
• ֍ 8 ֍ Mind • Body
• ֍ 9 ֍ Steps of Life
• ֍ 10 ֍ Love What You Do
• ֍ 11 ֍ Work • Learn • Gym • Play
• ֍ 12 ֍ Outside the Parenting Box
• ֍ 13 ֍ I am Free
• ֍ 14 ֍ Find Your 0.1%
• ֍ 15 ֍ Admired Leadership
• ֍ 16 ֍ Don’t be a Slave
• ֍ 17 ֍ Empathy • Love • Compassion
• ֍ 18 ֍ Creativity Has No Bounds
• ֍ 19 ֍ Risk • Reward
• ֍ 20 ֍ Know Who You Are
• ֍ 21 ֍ Reality • Reantity
• ֍ 22 ֍ Find Your Talent
• ֍ 23 ֍ A Journey of Self-Discovery
• ֍ 24 ֍ Good vs. Evil
• ֍ 25 ֍ Life • Philosophy • Psychology
• ֍ 26 ֍ Spiral Storytelling
• ֍ 27 ֍ Confidence • Insecurity
• ֍ 28 ֍ Beware the Generation Gap
• ֍ 29 ֍ Socioeconomic Layers
• ֍ 30 ֍ Doctor-Patient Relationships
• ֍ 31 ֍ The Flip
• ֍ 32 ֍ Partner • Person • Parent
• ֍ 33 ֍ Love is a Waterfall
• ֍ 34 ֍ Sexuality Isn’t Redefined When Your Single
• ֍ 35 ֍ Entrepreneur • Manager • Specialist
• ֍ 36 ֍ Fame • Fortune • Power
• ֍ 37 ֍ What’s Yours Is Ours • What’s Mine Is Mine
• ֍ 38 ֍ You’ll Never Walk In Their Shoes
• ֍ 39 ֍ Woman Slaps Man • An Allegory
• ֍ 40 ֍ Love • Hate
• ֍ 41 ֍ Don’t Underestimate Your Audience
• ֍ 42 ֍ Dominant • Submissive
• ֍ 43 ֍ Personality • Behavior
• ֍ 44 ֍ Know Your Friend • Know Your Foe
• ֍ 45 ֍ One Billion Euros • An Allegory
• ֍ 46 ֍ Are You With A Narcissist?
• ֍ 47 ֍ White Room Purple • A Thought Experiment
• ֍ 48 ֍ I Am Sigma
• ֍ 49 ֍ Tortoise & the Hare & the Snail • An Allegory
• ֍ 50 ֍ A Deep Sense of Self

Dusil Photography captures exquisite moments with models who dare to be vulnerable and enter the world of sensuality. I’ve been blessed with the freedom to explore their deepest emotions. Whether it’s alluring curves or a seductive gaze, each photograph tells her story. My portfolio reflects a seamless fusion of feminine beauty and compassion.