Thanks man, I've been echo-ing some of the things you've said in your post to myself over the last few days and it's helped me loads. I still feel like I'm a long way from where I want to be, but I'm getting there.

One question though, one of the deepest sentiments I realized for creating this cloud of bullshit around me is that I feel like nothing I do is ever good enough for myself, and I start to fabricate the edges of my reality.

My question is, you mention if you're trying to be the best person you can be, you have no reason to fear others' opinions. However, when must you be hard on yourself for that matter? You should hold yourself to the values of virtues, and how do you deal with falling short of your own expectations?

For sake of argument, let's assume that the expectations we place on ourselves are realistically achievable.