Welcome to Robin of Spring
At Robin of Spring, we celebrate being flawsome: flawed, yet undeniably awesome in our own unique ways. ◡̈
I grew tired of chasing an idealized image of myself—a confident, go-getter, socially-adept, always-in-control, and sophisticated woman – an embodiment of “success”.
Throughout my professional journey, I found myself joining various “self-improvement” groups. I attended personality development classes, hoping to acquire a “pleasing personality.” I even took up a public speaking course, although I knew I hated anything that involves presenting or giving out speeches. I often left feeling less sure of myself. I experimented with power dressing and daily makeup routines, but these never truly felt like “me.”
To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with striving to be a better version of ourselves. However, my efforts were driven by a misguided mindset—I was trying to become someone far removed from my true self. I disliked who I was—too quiet, too shy, too plain, and too boring. I believed I needed to be “fixed.”
Then, an expensive course led me to a realization. At the end of the course, the advice I received was simple: “be myself.” I thought to myself, “Are you kidding me?” Had I paid a significant amount for such basic advice? I walked away from that experience confused and disheartened, yet deeply contemplative.
The introduction of the book Strengths Finder seemed to echo this sentiment:
At its fundamentally flawed core, the aim of almost any learning program is to help us become who we are not. If you don’t have natural talent with numbers you’re still forced to spend time in that area to attain a degree. If you’re not very empathetic, you get sent to a course designed to infuse empathy into your personality. From the cradle to the cubicle, we devote more time to our shortcomings than to our strengths.
It was a rude awakening.
To this day, I strive to live by this truth: I AM ENOUGH.
Of course, I still aim to become the best version of myself, but now the best version of my authentic self. There’s nothing to fix.
Consider this an invitation to you: be more attuned to your true nature, love yourself more, accept your weaknesses, and celebrate your strengths. This will lead you to a more fulfilling life.
Embrace your imperfections. Be awesome.
Cheers!
