As I think I’ve mentioned before, I’ve got a quote on the wall at the Headspace Guildford office that says “no one has got it all figured out”(http://headspaceguildford.co.uk/inside-out/ ) . I love it because it’s so true. But so often we compare ourselves with others and find ourselves wanting. Or we compare ourselves with some imagine standard of what is good enough (or clever enough, pretty enough, helpful enough etc etc). Often we’re are also looking for others to tell us we are good enough and even then we don’t quite believe them – we think they don’t really know the ‘real’ us and if they did they’d see we’re not good enough. Or we think that if we can just do x, y and z then we will be good enough.
It’s actually easier to go on thinking that we’re not good enough than to stand up to ourselves and recognise that we’re never going to get the external validation we need, and we’ve got to find the courage within ourselves. The courage to be compassionate to ourselves and recognise the times when we are good enough, kind enough etc. We’re not perfect, because no one is (even if it looks like they are), but that certainly doesn’t mean we need to continue to find ourselves wanting.
So next time that critical voice inside you tells you that you’re just not up to the mark, take a deep breath and remember the times when you did ok, well or better, the times when you made it despite the challenges, the times when you were kind or helpful or thoughtful or well-intentioned or when you did ok in some work you did or when you got a compliment. Don’t take it from me, take it from yourself.
You are good enough.