In the epic play Julius Caesar, Shakespeare put words on the lips of Caesar saying, “I want the men around me to be fat, healthy-looking men who sleep at night. That Cassius over there has a lean and hungry look. He thinks too much. Men like him are dangerous.”

Julius Caesar was an accomplished general, inspiring leader and powerful man but none of that could compensate for the fact that he was insecure. Although he was a success, the only way he felt good about himself was to surround himself with people he felt were inferior. The problem with insecure people is that no matter how much of a success they are, it does not satisfy the appetite of their insecurities. Insecure people often attempt to make the lives of others insignificant because of their own personal lack of confidence.

One of the most dangerous places for an insecure person is a position of leadership. When in a leadership role, they mask their insecurities with their title and use it to abuse others. However, a person should not be defined by a title. Instead, the person should define a position based on their character.

Those who lack confidence are dangerous because they will say and do anything to obtain a position or title. They will even turn against their own family if it means rising to the top. But, what they fail to see is that you can be at the top without the title, without the position, and without kissing up.

The reason a person may become insecure is because they’ve always felt overlooked and overshadowed by those close to them. In their minds they are competing with people who are not even aware of the competition. They’re running a race, when they’re the only one who heard the gun. They always try to out talk you, out do you, and out maneuver you. They want to be the first and last to be seen. They attempt to drown out anyone else from getting attention. Such attempts are vain because there is no way that one individual can please everyone.

People pleasers always end up frustrated and rundown because they have to keep up the persona when they’re in front of others.

Insecure people don’t have dreams, but they do have criticisms. So, their conversation is about the negative, not about the vision they have for their lives. They are dream destroyers. Take inventory of your own life; if all your friends do is criticize others, they are dream killers. If they are trying to make themselves big by making you small, it is time to let go of them. On the other hand, dream builders are secure. They discuss their dreams and what they want out of life and they’ll even take time to listen and compliment you on your ideas. They are talking about the possibilities of what Selma-Dallas County can become.

If you’ll be honest, you’re either one of the two; you’re either a dream builder or a dream killer. So what’s it gonna be?