TOPIC TODAY: When you walk into a room, a bar, restaurant, etc do you feel welcomed or judged? Does a feeling of being "not good enough" ever make you take careless risks or treat yourself poorly?​Merry Christmas to you all! Stay safe and stay worthy.

SCENE: Christmas afternoon. The bar is decorated with red and gold. Music is playing, but the conversation is serious.
​JIDE (Looking around at the crowd):
​Merry Christmas, everyone! But look closely. Some people here are smiling, but they don't feel "welcomed." They feel judged. They feel like everyone is looking at their old shoes or their cheap phone and thinking they are inadequate.
​JENNIFER (Nodding):
​That’s because of how our minds are wired, Jide. We carry "preconceived notions." If you grew up feeling unworthy, you expect people to treat you poorly. Even when someone is kind, draws you near, critiques your actions to make you better, your brain tells you it’s a lie. This "expectation" ruins our relationships and our growth.
​NNE (Sipping a drink):
​Facts. And because you feel "less than," you start taking unnecessary risks. Do you see a guy acting "too loud" or drinking too much today? It’s usually because he feels small inside. He’s trying to drown that feeling of being unworthy. It’s careless living born from a broken mindset.
​OLA (Grumbling):
​Why should another person's opinion make you start substance abuse? If you feel judged, just walk away! Why lower your standards or ruin your life just because you think someone is looking down on you? That’s a weakness.
​EOO (Softly, looking at the Christmas tree):
​It’s not just about others, Ola. It’s the voice inside. When we feel unworthy, we stop reaching for the stars and start reaching for the bottle. We take risks with our health and our money because we think, "What does it matter? I’m not going anywhere anyway." We trap ourselves before the world even has a chance to.
​AMARA (Joining in):
​That’s the danger of this holiday. People often feel pressured to acquire status, be seen to have boy or girl fruend, have wealth or status. When they don’t have that, they feel biased against. They feel they are being "badly treated" by life. And that is when they make the mistakes that lead to trouble - bad company, unprotected sex, drinking, overspending, or worse.
​JIDE:
​So, the message for today is simple: Don't let your "wired mindset" tell you that you are not enough. Don't let a feeling of being "inadequate" drive you into a ditch this Christmas. You are worthy of respect, starting with the respect you give yourself.
​NNE: ​Exactly. Don't "act out" because you're hurting. Just eat your chicken, stay safe, and keep your head high.

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