Reflection. Don't let them dim your light, love yourself!

ENGLISH VERSION Dear reader, welcome and thank you for reading. Here you will always find an anecdote that will encourage reflection in this virtual sharing space. I am usually the shoulder to cry on for people close to me, who perhaps see me as a psychologist. They seek relief, someone who will listen to them without reproach but who can give them the guidance they need. Incidentally, I am a retired teacher, which may have made me even more empathetic. The truth is that one of these people, whom we will call Laura, has been going through a difficult situation within her social circle. It turns out that the person she considered her best friend, whom we will call Olivia, decided to end their friendship just like that, which came as a shock to her since they had been friends since childhood. In the middle of the conversation, I realized that Olivia is a self-centered person, accustomed since childhood to having everything revolve around her, pressured by her mother to be the best at everything, which has given rise to the presumptuous, selfish, self-interested person she is today. not to mention how much she enjoys belittling others if they let her. In fact, I think she enjoys humiliating and disparaging others, because in her world, she is the only one who is the best.  [Fuente](https://pixabay.com/es/photos/mujer-modelo-retrato-pose-estilo-716592/) Laura, on the other hand, has always been in her shadow. She is a simple, shy person with no interest in attracting attention, yet her academic achievements stand out. She has nothing to envy Olivia and, in my opinion, has wasted valuable time with her, although on second thought, I reconsider, because we learn from both good and bad experiences. Putting two and two together, I have come to the conclusion that Olivia realized that Laura is no longer manipulable, and that unnerves her. She started dating the boy Laura liked, which was the reason for the breakup of a friendship that was never really a friendship. Olivia, always self-centered, only wanted what Laura was interested in, but it turns out that enough is enough. Now Laura makes her own decisions, congratulations! She shines with the light that has always characterized her, she receives compliments for her merits, and Olivia has taken off her mask in front of everyone. It turns out that she had the face of an angel and a sweet voice, when in reality she was a character with bad intentions. Just like a novel, but it's a true story. The focus of this content that I want to get to today comes with the following questions: To what extent would you let someone mistreat you, control your life? What do you want for yourself? Do you feel that you love yourself enough? What do you want in your life? Don't you think it's time to let go of what hurts you? Could you say something nice to yourself?  [Fuente](https://pixabay.com/es/photos/mujer-campo-sol-chica-verano-3583382/) Some people can spend years, perhaps their entire lives, feeling insignificant, dragging around insecurities and allowing others to control their lives. It's understandable that many of us want a peaceful life. It's our life, and ideally, we should be happy in it. We can't allow other people to control it. The most beautiful thing in this life is the freedom to be and to do, without hurting others in the process. I am glad that Laura loves and respects herself, that she shines without overshadowing others. I wish her the best in this world. We need more people as beautiful as her. Thank you, Laura.  Images from Pixabay.com. Edited in Canva. Translator DeepL.com.