People's acceptance weighs a lot more to our self-confidence than we want to admit. I've realized that when I feel close and friendly with people, I feel more at ease with myself. But when I feel as an outcast, I try to keep to myself as much as possible and not make a fool of myself.

Words are powerful. From the servantteam leadership training, one thing i remember is that we know what our gifts and talents are from 1) our inner passion and interest and 2) peer's confirmation. People's response to the things we enjoy can either make or break us. But in the same way, criticism and side comments that are meant for jokes can be a confirmation to our insecurities. I know i'm pretty much stating the obvious, but i think a lot of the time we forget to be careful with our words. I seriously need to work on this and use myself to encourage and uplift others rather than dragging them down with me.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29