The ego is a very dangerous thing. The ego hates that it has to compete with people. The more ego you have the stronger it becomes. This means that those who seek to accept instead of to be accepted are weak, dishonest, mean-spirited, and lack integrity. Those who pursue what they think others want them to do are greedy, manipulative, and disloyal. Think about it, this goes for all the other social animals you come into contact with, not just humans.
Those of us who are strong, honest, truthful, and who have integrity tend to attract more people to us. This may sound obvious, but it needs to be stated. When you are not attracting what you desire or something that makes you happy, you are only sending mixed signals to others and yourself. You will never be happy unless you have something of value to offer others or if someone takes notice of you and the quality you possess.
If you are seeking to be accepted rather than to be given, you're sending signals that you're worried that someone might notice your insecurity. Rather than trying to hide it, you should try to showcase the real person that you are instead of hiding behind an inflated ego. So, be confident, be positive, and don't worry about what others think. If you're able to display genuine emotions rather than pretending to be something you're not, you will create better results for yourself.
Think about it, we were all created to be happy. Most people think they're only as good as their last thought or the last thing that comes into their minds. However, that's not true. When you're in a place where you're not happy or you don't feel like doing anything, you need to focus on something else, something positive, before your ego takes over and you just run from it.
Think about it: you are in control of your thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and actions! No one else can do that for you. Your mind is the only one that can change it so if you focus on something other than yourself, and take time for yourself, you'll notice a difference. Your energy levels will increase, you will feel great, and people will admire you more often.
It doesn't matter what you're doing, if you're doing it for someone else, how are you going to be perceived? How are you going to get the reaction you want from them? When you think less about yourself, you will find that you're much happier, you will have more confidence, and you will have the ability to focus on the things that really matter. When you truly accept yourself, rather than trying to create a false image of yourself, people will respond positively to you.
Rather than try to convince yourself that you're perfect, or that there is nothing that could possibly go wrong, accept that you're flawed and that you can't do everything. You're the only one who knows what you can and cannot do, but rather than dwelling on this fact, it's much better to focus on all the wonderful things that you do have instead. If you were able to do what you're doing right now, rather than what you know you can't do, would you have changed it? It's the same with your career, rather than dwelling on what you know you can't do, it's much better to focus on the good things you are doing instead. When you are not perfect, you are still the only person who know it, and that is a very empowering feeling.
Rather than trying to convince yourself that you don't deserve a certain thing in life, accept that you are worthy of every little thing. You are more important than your accomplishments or your failures, and you have nothing to prove to anyone else. Instead of making excuses for why you failed, decide to learn from it and move forward. If you truly believe that you are worthy of more things in life, you'll be surprised at how much more you actually get done.