Everyone can admit they have doubted themselves at least once in their lifetime. As for my case, I would doubt myself almost on a regular basis. It becomes a daily phenomenon and before you know it, you fall into a dark place and can not find a way out. For as long as I can remember, I created the mindset that it was simply the result of life events or bad luck. After some time, I discovered the only person holding me back from being content in my life is me.

For example, it's easy to develop quick bursts of confidence in a spur of the moment, but it does not always last before you go back to how you might normally feel. There have been times where my confidence was at an all-time high, but then you are grounded that you are not the center of attention to the world. It's about finding the balance between upholding the confidence and staying grounded. An easy way to find the balance is to relish at the moment that you are a confident and strong individual. Then you move on and go about your daily life with the mindset to let the confidence come and go, but stay humble.

One thing that helped me appreciate myself more is to invest in my hobbies and create more time that will only benefit in the long run. Whether that be an activity such as running or reading one of my favorite books. This helps create more of an identity with myself and express me more with the things I enjoy. This summer, in particular, has opened my eyes to what hobbies I enjoy and which ones I should try instead of sticking to my old ones. One thing I've tried to embrace more this summer is writing and expressing emotions through calligraphy and writing random prompts.

Another thing that helped me stop criticizing myself and accepting my "negative" tendencies. As a fellow Virgo, I am constantly overthinking and manipulating every action I perform and am always scrutinizing the little things I notice that no one else does. I am not a large follower of astrology but I do believe certain people can attain qualities from an astrological sign. However, once I started working with people who are female Virgos, they helped me realize that it's okay to embrace these tendencies and accept myself as a perfectionist instead of feeling insecure about how I feel.