Hi, Barbie!
It’s Therapist Barbie! How are you doing? I saw your movie and I want to congratulate you on starring in such a wonderful production. I love how Barbie has evolved over time into someone who is representative of so many kinds of people. Barbie can be anyone regardless of gender, sexuality, style, interest, and so on. I can’t wait to see where Barbie will go next!
So, Barbie. You can be incredibly hard on yourself. I think it’s important to bring up topics of both individuality and perfectionism. You are allowed to be who you are—you don’t need to fit into a mold. Even though you represent the classic idea of Barbie you don’t have to be perfect. Afterall, no one is.
This is something I notice among so many people. We have an internal desire to be ourselves, yet we feel like we can’t for various reasons. We fear we might be judged; we may not be accepted; we may be misunderstood. Showing our true selves is such a vulnerable thing and, in some instances, we default to masking who we really are.
Barbie, I’ve got some ideas to help with this:
· One, is finding a great support system. Who can you be your true self around? What characteristics do they possess that make you feel safe? How do you know you can trust someone? All of these questions can help lead you to finding people and communities that accept you for you. The more time you spend here, the stronger you’ll become and the less afraid you’ll be to show the world the real Barbie.
· Two, is battling perfectionism. Us Barbies have the tendency to hold ourselves to unrealistic standards. It’s not fair to us nor others around us. Embracing realism means to accept flaws, differences, and quirks that humans generally possess. We are not supposed to be the same. And we are certainly not meant to be perfect. Honestly…what does that even mean? Perfect to you is not the same as perfect to me. It’s just not attainable since it doesn’t exist. Instead, I would focus on your values and make sure you are living a life that aligns with those.
· Third, have some self-compassion. All Barbies have a place in this world and that means you too. You know you’re trying your best—and if you’re not, what are the roadblocks? Even if we know we can do better, we don’t have to put ourselves down. Self-compassion is showing ourselves care, honesty, and accountability. We can do all of this from a place of love.
So, Barbie, what do you think? I wish you all the best in your journey and am beyond excited to see all the future Barbies that will emerge. I hope that you can continue to inspire everyone to be Kind Barbie, Confident Barbie, and Real Barbie.
XOXO,
Therapist Barbie