Brian has a very competitive spirit; he doesn’t work well as a team player. He must always be first, and he has no problem sacrificing others for a personal win. Only the best will do for him, as he tends to be materialistic and spend large sums of money on expensive toys. He believes his value comes from the things he has, as opposed to the man he is, and as a result of this mindset, his relationships tend to be unhealthy.
While he enjoys nice things (and the worth he thinks comes from them), at his core is a man who feels of very little value. He constantly requires attention and creates near-impossible scenarios in which those around him must meet his expectations in a quest to prove their love and earn his.
Brian doesn’t know why he can’t seem to break free from this vicious cycle, but if you could rewind the hands of time and peer into his childhood, you would find that he was constantly compared to his siblings or others in his community circle. In most cases, he was made to feel like he didn’t measure up, and he was constantly ridiculed or even punished for his perceived deficiencies.
When we don’t feel valued for who we are, those painful feelings can push us to take on a persona that we think others find more acceptable. Doing so leaves us tired and lonely from living a glorified false life. May you find the courage to be true to yourself, and therein find the wonderful gift of knowing your intrinsic worth.
