Everything I listen to and read these days talks about the anxiety that is pervading our society. Obviously, we are all dealing with a worldwide situation that is unlike anything we’ve ever encountered. That combined with a world that continues to change at warp speed, and some might argue not always in the best ways, is enough to heap stress on even the most at peace among us.
This leads me to encourage you to stop and reflect on the handful, or is it a scarce few, or perhaps only one person, who, despite all of the chaos and confusion around them, seems to chug right along. Not only do they appear unaffected, but they actually seem to find joy in the midst of it all. Or so it seems. I haven’t met a person recently, if ever, who doesn’t have challenges to overcome. The difference between those who show it and those who “go with the flow” is not some magic formula; it is simply the right mindset.
Let us delve a little deeper. Most of us fall victim to comparing ourselves to other people. We think that if we were more like this person or had the advantages that the person we admire had, our troubles would easily melt away. The truth is, whether it is a close friend or someone we see on TV or online that seems to have life by the tail, you truly have no idea what they have had to overcome to get where they are. Your problems may seem momentous to you; however, compared to someone else, they may be minuscule in comparison. Whether they are or not is not for us to figure out. What we need to do is to go to work on our problems today.
This brings me to my next point. I don’t know where you or I or anyone else got the idea that life is supposed to be perfect. Spoiler alert. Life is not only not perfect, but it can be downright nasty at times. None of us are promised perfection, yet we somehow believe that we deserve it. And when we don’t get it, we become frustrated, at best, and often intolerable. A couple of weeks ago, my pastor said something that really was an “ouch” and continues to resonate in my subconscious. “None of us are good enough to get angry.”
We are flawed, infallible, and imperfect creatures even though we demand perfection, usually from those closest to us but even to strangers, who may be carrying tremendous burdens as far as we know. My question for you to consider is: Do you forgive others as much as you forgive yourself? Take some time to really reflect on that. Personally, I need and seek a tremendous amount of grace, and I often offer none.
Let’s talk about the good news now. You are more than enough. This statement resonates within the Christian community that I am a part of. The phrase is actually: You + God = Enough. Whether you believe in or worship God or not is your choice, and I am certainly not here to convince you one way or the other. Either way, you are uniquely gifted with abilities to learn, grow, and thrive. I cannot say it any better than Zig Ziglar said many years ago. “You were designed for accomplishment, engineered for success, and endowed with the seeds of greatness.”
Nothing is beyond your reach or capabilities. No matter where you are, and no matter where you have been, you always have the opportunity every day to define how your life will be from here on out. What you accomplish today will bear fruit tomorrow. The difference between who you have been and who you will become begins right here, right now. Will you make the decisions and take the actions today that you will be glad you did tomorrow?
Many, if not most of us, know what we need to do. It is not a question of learning more or waiting for a future event. We use these as convenient excuses, but the reality is these are used to cover up our fears. The fear of trying something new. The fear of challenging yourself to get uncomfortable. The fear of failure. I have a one-word solution that you are likely to dismiss to help you overcome your doubts, fears, and limiting beliefs. START.
Do something, do anything, but do take action. It won’t be perfect, and you might even (gasp) fail but keep going and keep getting better. There is nothing wrong with doing something poorly until you learn to do it well. You are enough, and you are stronger and more capable than you think you are. If you don’t believe it, feel free to borrow my belief. Get going, keep going, and you’ll be amazed in a very short time how far you can get.
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