31 October · You can reconsider the label.

Self-doubt

I keep treating an old criticism as proof of who I am.

A little room to breathe.31 October

Self-doubt

“But her heart never frowned. It was naturally tender, sensitive, and full of little tremors and palpitations; all of which weaknesses it retained, while her visage was growing so perversely stern, and even fierce.”

Nathaniel Hawthorne — The House of the Seven Gables, 1851Chapter II, The Little Shop-Window; narrator on Hepzibah’s outward appearance and inward characterRead the source ↗

You can reconsider the label.

A harsh description from someone else can outlast the conversation that produced it. You are allowed to examine whether it was specific, fair, or useful, rather than carrying it as a permanent definition of your character across every new situation.

ONE SMALL STEP

Replace the label with a factual description of the particular incident.

A little room to breathe.31 October

A spark of light in your day.

A spark
of light
in your day.