Friday, January 20, 2017

Selling Yourself Short


What does that phrase really mean? Has anyone ever said that to you? Are we allowed to follow up with a question about what it is we should be 'selling' to ourselves?

What is it exactly that one is expected to sell? Who do I need to impress? Who is the consumer here and why does anyone think I need to sell anything?

Is it a phrase intended to boost a person's personal view of themselves? Because unless it gets followed up by more specific details of what we should be selling ourselves, it is just another useless phrase of empty words.

"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself,
you always sell yourself short."

If I tell my kids this, what does it mean? Absolutely nothing.

If I tell my child "Oh, don't be so hard on yourself, you have many talents to be proud of." and then follow up with examples, they will have a foundation to build upon in their own way.

Why do we fill ourselves with these empty phrases? I can't say that it even makes me feel better to say this to someone else. I've heard it so many times, though. To me, to others, everywhere.
Who says we ever have to 'sell' anything to anyone?