I think at some point my parents realized that they weren’t very competent and accomplished people. That their only chance to feel accomplished in life was through their children - even if they’re NOT their children and their kids are different people who from them! So to make themselves feel better about their lack of success in life, they decided to take credit for all of their children’s successes and accomplishments in life AND deny their kids any credit. It’s easier to steal someone else’s success and pass it off as your own than to work hard on becoming better and trying to succeed in your own right. It made me feel totally incapable, like I could claim credit for nothing that I did, and did a number on my self esteem. It’s reprehensible and toxic behaviour to be honest. People deserve credit where credit is due.

I now know that this had nothing to do with me. That it’s 100% my parents and their toxic behaviour of stealing success from their kids to cater to their insecurities because that’s easier to do than working on their own lives and trying to succeed in their own right. That this doesn’t diminish in any way shape or form my own abilities, my own successes, my own hard work and my own capabilities.