Approval Addict

A little self-talk after my self-esteem had been kicked around pretty good

Just breathe my dear
and understand that what someone else thinks about you
does not make it who or what you are.

Stop being addicted to approval.
Don't let that be the drug that enslaves you.
You will never be able to meet everyone's approval.
No more than the junkie make the high last for ever.
And you know what?
That's ok.
Not everyone will meet yours,
And their high will end too.

Stop looking for your self-worth in the opinions of others.
There's so much more to you than they will ever know.
They don't see what lies within your heart and soul,
your dreams and desires.

Learn to accept yourself,
even the flaws,
because someone loves you in spite of them.
Forgive yourself for the mistakes you've made.
Perfection has never been what it's all about.
Nor does that someone expect it from you.

Oh, and one more thing,
change the way you see things
and the things you see will change.

~~~ ~~~
R. L. Ives

Reviews

[icelandicblue]

I like this so very much. It is filled with truth and wisdom. Perfection is highly overrated and waiting for approval from others so that you can build a false sense of self is to hand yourself over as an emotional slave. I love the last stanza- change your perception and your world will change. These are words to live by.

[R. L. Ives]

Thank you.

Favorite quote. I have learned in the past eight months that even with my best effort, I was trying very hard to live by those words. What I learned is that sometimes it's more changing WHERE you see things rather than just the WAY you see them. So I took my own advice and got a new job. :)

[jacob erin-cilberto]

this is so much the truth.

well said.

i spent so many years seeking my parents' approval...it meant too much...even with approval from everyone else, i needed theirs...therapy helped me with that...i learned that i was the only who had to approve of me...just as you so well showed us in this poem.

jacob

[R. L. Ives]

Thank you for your review Jacob. I appreciate the encouraging words.

I think this is a lesson that one never stops learning. I've always had to learn things the hard way and I think this is the most difficult one by far, and I fear I am still in the prologue desperately trying to get to chapter 1. If I can believe what people tell me, it's when we get older that we start to not care what others think and say what's on our mind. I wonder what age that is...

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i got there a long time ago...but i am 62 now...and basically....i just do what i think i need to do...it's a bit late to change to everyone else's whims.

[1 Deep]

Words of wisdom. Written more like an essay than a poem to me, but that's just me. The content is meaningful and well written in any case.

[R. L. Ives]

Thank you once again for your feedback. When I added this to my writings, I was not sure where to put it since to me it seems more prose than story and of course, prose poetry was my only choice there.