Universally Inadequate

One of the most universally recognizable feelings is inadequacy. All of us feel like we are inadequate for something: inadequate to win that game, inadequate to get into that dream college, inadequate to get a promotion, inadequate as a parent or caregiver... the list goes on an on. This sense of inadequacy or "not being good enough" is a socially driven phenomenon. As young children grow up, they are constantly told they may not have what it takes. Parents, teachers, and other family members often point out other children that are in the news or on television. In an attempt to be inspirational, they often drive a child to believe they don't have the potential to do something great. To protect the child from potential failure, they squash hope. For that reason, the young child who wants to invent a time machine settles for working at a local real estate firm. As we get older, that constant social pressure doesn't go away but merely metamorphasizes. In the world we live in today, being "inadequate" is in vogue. At the high school level, walk through the hallways and you'll here things such as: "I totally bombed that test", "I look so ugly in that picture, you always look so gorgeous,". Being confident in your abilities and talents is considered rude or impolite. Can you imagine someone in a serious everyday conversation saying "I am smart", "I am  beautiful", "I am kind". The 2016 Presidential Election is worse than public high school. Candidates are literally scrambling over each other to prove how "UN-wealthy" and "UN-famous" they are. We have bred a civilization of un-'s. How do we change that? How do we teach others and especially ourselves that we ARE good enough that we do deserve it? The same way all the greats do- by preserving and rediscovering the child within us. Because a child is the peak of potential, the high point of invincibility, the state of total complete adequacy. Instead of squandering and oppressing that we should allow it to blossom and develop. We, as humans, are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. If we just stopped thinking about all of the things we can't and started focusing on the can; if we could respect and celebrate the talents of others, we could all become greats.