I think one of the most courageous things you can do is to keep showing up for your life.
I am not where I want to be, not in terms of healing, personal goals, relationships, overcoming the impossible standard of perfectionism or most aspects of my life honestly.
The unkind version of my brain wants to shame myself.
Should be further along in my healing journey.
Should have already finished that degree.
Should be past that area of lifelong struggle.
Should have written that book and 2 more by now.
Should have pursued that friendship harder.
And I am not saying that it’s not good practice to have an honest conversation with the person in the mirror about needed areas of growth and improvement. It’s always a good idea.
But so is a compassionate conversation.
So is the realization that you are quite possibly doing the best that you can with the life you’ve been given or have chosen.
I recently said out loud to a group of women that I am choosing in the here and now to be proud of myself for how far I’ve come over the past year.
Did it feel 100% true as I said it? Of course not.
But the more important thing in that moment is that I was choosing the hard thing, to show kindness and compassion towards myself and the parts of me that aren’t as far along as they “should” be.
Who determines that anyway? And when did they get a say in this life they have not lived?
I just think you should be a little kinder to yourself.
For all that your heart has been a witness to. For the heartache you silently carry. For all the times you didn’t want to get out of bed, but your feet found their way to the floor anyway.
You’re still here, letting the light seep in where it can.
You’re still showing up, kindling that flicker of hope that eventually, will spark into a burning flame.
I see you and I think it’s pretty remarkable really.