On water balloons

So let's say your self-worth is a balloon.

And let's say the air we blow into a balloon is everything external to us--praise from others, getting a promotion, being invited to a party, being the cool kid at the party, making lots of money, brand label bags, having the nicest house on the block, being congratulated for weight loss, a number on the scale.

You're left with a beautiful, big balloon. 

Seems great.

Until eventually, something happens, something small, but something sharp. Something that hurts. Something that threatens everything we believe about ourselves.

Well...you know what happens next.

But let's say, instead, you fill that balloon up with water. And let's say water is everything INTERNAL to you--your own pride of character, the sense of your feet on the ground, the accomplishments you keep to yourself, the choices that you make, the care you take to nourish yourself.

The pin will still threaten your balloon. A pierce will always come.

But with the second balloon, your water empties much, much slower. It trickles out in a tiny stream. There is no sudden rush, no emergency. There is a vulnerable spot, to be sure, but we have time and space to patch it up. There is no threat of explosion. We simply have to tend to the wound. And if we have our tools in place beside us, we won't lose any water.