This hits so deeply—thank you for sharing something so honest and vulnerable. That “once I have [insert goal here], then I’ll be confident” loop is such a familiar one for so many of us. It’s wild how easily insecurities shapeshift as we move through different life phases, like a shadow that keeps changing form but never quite disappears.

Your journey—through beauty standards, academic pressure, career ambition, and relationships—feels so human. What’s so powerful here is how clearly you show that external achievements or changes don’t automatically resolve internal doubt. It’s a reminder that self-worth isn’t a milestone we arrive at, but something we cultivate and keep nurturing.

Have you found anything recently—big or small—that’s helped break that cycle a little? Whether it’s therapy, affirmations, community, creative work, or even just realizing, “Hey, I’m actually doing okay”?

Also… I kind of love that your internship was at Match.com before dating apps became a whole thing. That feels very “main character in a rom-com origin story” energy.