Setting the Scene
Inse had barely unpacked his bags when he got the call.
“Curity! You’re in town?” His voice brimmed with excitement as he juggled his phone between his shoulder and ear, attempting to make instant ramen in his small studio apartment.
“Not just in town, baby brother, I live here,” Curity responded with a chuckle. “And I need you to come over. The twins are making me question my entire existence, and you, my dear, are my temporary parenting assistant.”
Inse’s stomach twisted. Curity, the woman who had mastered everything, needed help? That didn’t seem possible. But a visit to his older sister’s penthouse in the heart of the city? That was definitely tempting.
The Perfect Parent Trap
Within an hour, Inse stood in Curity’s ultramodern, sun-drenched kitchen, watching his sister expertly juggle three kids. The twins, five years old and full of energy, were bouncing around, arguing over who got the blue plate, while the baby wailed from her high chair.
“I don’t know how you do this,” Inse muttered, staring wide-eyed.
“I don’t,” Curity admitted, sighing. “At least not perfectly. And that’s the problem.” She handed him a sippy cup. “Can you give this to Ava before she declares war on nap time?”
Inse took the cup but raised an eyebrow. “Wait. You? The CEO, the marathon runner, the literal definition of ‘having it all’, are struggling with parenting?”
Curity laughed, but there was a tinge of exhaustion behind it. “Inse, do you know what social media has done to parenting? There’s this constant pressure to be perfect. Perfect meals. Perfect playtime schedules. Perfect schools. If I let the voice of insecurity win, I’d be paralyzed by guilt 24/7.”
Inse nodded slowly. He could already hear his own voice of insecurity whispering in his ear: You’ll never be able to handle all this. You’re barely keeping yourself together. You’ll fail at this, just like everything else.
Curity must have noticed his face fall. She smiled knowingly. “And that, my dear brother, is why today’s transformation is Act Despite the Voice of Insecurity. It’s about showing up, even when you don’t feel like you’re doing enough.”
Learning Through Action
The day unfolded in a flurry of chaos. Inse attempted to help with snack time, only to watch in horror as one twin flung yogurt onto the walls. He read them a story, but they asked five million questions per page. He held the baby, until she spit up on his sweater.
By mid-afternoon, he was sprawled on the couch, exhausted. “Curity, I don’t know how you do this. I’d be too scared of messing them up.”
Curity sat beside him, cradling her coffee. “That’s the thing, Inse. The voice of insecurity will always tell you that you’re failing. That you’re not good enough. But parenting, just like life, isn’t about perfection. It’s about doing your best despite those doubts. Acting, even when the fear is screaming at you.”
Inse let her words sink in. He thought about his own life, how he held back from pitching stories to big publications because he was afraid of rejection. How he hesitated to network with editors because he feared he wasn’t impressive enough.
Curity nudged him. “You don’t have to be the perfect uncle today. You just have to be here, trying. Just like I don’t have to be the perfect mom, I just have to love them and show up every day.”
Inse exhaled. “Okay. Then let’s do this.”
And with that, he got up and chased the twins around the penthouse, embracing the mess, the noise, and the imperfection.
Takeaways: The Fourth Transformation – Act Despite the Voice of Insecurity
- You Don’t Have to Feel Ready to Take Action: Whether it’s parenting, career moves, or personal growth, you will never feel 100% confident. Move forward anyway.
- Perfection is a Lie: Social media and societal expectations create an unattainable standard. The real measure of success is showing up and trying.
- Your Inner Voice is Not Always Right: The voice of insecurity thrives on doubt and fear. Acknowledge it, but don’t let it stop you.
- Parenting is About Presence, Not Perfection: The best parents aren’t the ones who never struggle; they’re the ones who love their kids despite their own fears of inadequacy.
As Inse left Curity’s apartment that night, still smelling faintly of baby spit-up and toddler energy, he felt something shift inside him.
Maybe he didn’t have to be the perfect writer overnight.
Maybe, like Curity, he just had to keep showing up.
And that was enough.
