It’s been said that it took Leonardo da Vinci four years to finish painting the Mona Lisa. Four years spent adding details and texture, improving upon his work each day. Four years struggling to make a blank canvas into a work of art. Four years until his portrait was good enough.
I have found myself fall victim to the idea that I’m “not good enough.” I’ve let myself become burdened by my insecurities and have disappointed myself for not being the person I thought I would be by now.
I thought I would have everything figured out by the time I was in my twenties. I’d be confident, easy-going, unstoppable. Instead, I’ve continued to be on the shy side with an alienating habit of shutting people out as well as encountered many different occasions where my indecisiveness has left me feeling like a bundle of stress and anxiety.
There are plenty of other people out there who feel like this too. Ones who often feel lost, unmotivated, caught between being responsible adults and just managing to keep everything above water. Whether you’re a mosaic of flaws, broken and bruised, lost and confused, or just feel like you’re not good enough, take a moment to acknowledge the fact that you’re not a finished product yet. A work-of-art takes time and effort. You are supposed to be flawed and fragile right now, you’re still in production. You still have time to grow and change, paint over your scratched canvas and start new. Love the way you are, improve on what you want, and cut yourself some slack, you’re doing the best you can.
So maybe you aren’t framed in a museum, honored for your flawless finish, but that doesn’t mean you’re not a goddamn masterpiece.