I was shaken to realize the true source of the aggression I sometimes direct toward others. It comes from a deep lack of self-worth. When I lash out, it’s not because I want to hurt them—it’s because I want them to feel as small and insecure as I do.

Whenever I encounter someone who seems unshakable, someone who carries themselves with unbreakable confidence, a part of me wants to pull them down to my level.

What scares me even more is the thought that this might be a way of testing love—just like when I used to say hurtful things to my mother as a child. I was a foolish, arrogant kid who believed her love was strong enough to survive anything I said.

But if I’m still wrong about that… if I still carry that belief today… then something inside me needs to change—starting right now.