You Are Good Enough
By Marilyn Tam
They cannot take away our self-respect if we do not give it to them.
~Mahatma Gandhi
Are you good enough? Most people harbor feelings that somehow if people really knew who they are, they will not like them. This nagging feeling buzzes in the brain like small yet powerfully irritating mosquitoes, ready to sting at any moment, undermining our confidence to claim our rightful place at the table. This sense of insecurity can be negatively self-fulfilling and very destructive because it robs us of the confidence and courage to forge ahead on achieving our dreams. The choice to change is in our own hands.
Being an unwanted child I was told from as early as I can recall that I was worthless, not a good start to building self-esteem. Yet eventually I learned to trust my inner knowing that each person is worthwhile just as they are. Self-respect gave me the strength and resilience to leave home in my mid teens and come to America, and to succeed in business, humanitarian work and in life. How did that happen? I was blessed along the way with angels who told me that I was OK. We all have those angels in our lives when we look for them.
My first angel was my grandfather who gave me my Chinese name, Hay Lit, the...