There is a kind of psychological pattern that society often repeats. It makes people feel powerful. And what I'm referring to is the process of building up, just to break down. Society builds up these large buildings and monuments, because that makes them feel powerful to create them. Then, it makes them feel even more powerful just to take them down. The people constantly idolize people and practically worship them as heroes, just to break them down and villainize them. Beware of that pattern. You see it a lot with celebrities, be it actors or politicians.
But, then there's the opposite of doing that. Think of the military process. They break you down first, both mentally, physically, you find yourself being treated worse than you've ever been treated before, you feel weaker than you've ever felt before and are put through so much strenuous exercises and are constantly exhausted. Over time, you begin to build up, you get stronger, and eventually you pick up rank and are treated with more respect. This process is better, to be broken down first, and THEN built up. Look at Jesus. He was treated like a criminal, he was tortured, beaten, humiliated, crucified on a cross for days, left there to starve and then he died. He did that and then rose from the dead so that we could have everlasting life in the kingdom of heaven, if you believe in him as your Lord & Savior and know that he died to pay your debt for your sins. He's a good example of someone who was broken down in the worst way it could've happened to anyone, just to be built up as like the King of Kings.
My advice to the people of the world - don't build yourselves up nor let others build you up so that you may be set up to be broken down. Instead, allow yourselves to be broken down first. If you're on Step 9 and you want to get to step 10, go back to step 1, then go straight to step 10 from there. You might just see something going down and then going back up again that you didn't see the first time you were walking up those stairs.
Do NOT become the delicious gourmet meal that gets eaten then turned into poop hours later after being released from the body. INSTEAD, think of how diamonds are created and be more like that.
None of this "first impression!" crap. That's a purely emotional response, it's a compulsive thing, detach yourself from that line of thinking immediately and open your mind to the divine wisdom of how things truly are and are meant to be, but are rarely seen for what it is. Make it less about the destination and more about the journey itself all together.
You may find that many things I say can't always be taken at face value. Philosophically speaking there are multiple meanings for a lot of the things I say. And I can't even begin to speak a fraction of what actually goes on in my mind. I can do what I can though. And what I can tell you is that if you open yourself up to God, that he can grant you with the divine wisdom as well.