What you do is enough. Who you are is enough. What you have is enough.
Why do we constantly seek to do more, have more, or be more? Isn’t who we are at the very present moment enough? This is a question I struggle with. On one hand, yes I agree that you are “good enough” and that you don’t need any more “stuff”.
On the other hand I think that there is more to this that just being “enough”. If you take this at face value then whatever you do in life – your job, your parenting, your relationships, your volunteering and community involvement etc… is “enough” – meaning that you don’t have to kill yourself trying to being perfect – then I definitely I agree. But is it enough to be satisfied at where you are in your life now? I say no. No one is perfect however I believe that you shouldn’t settle for being “done” at where you are now. I think that you should strive for continuous improvement. Whether it is being more physically fit, or a better friend, or a better employee, or more educated or more generous, humans striving to improve on ourselves is what makes us great as a species.
Knowing that some aspect of yourself can be improved makes life worth living. Everyone could be more relaxed right? Kinder? Smarter? Sure! As long as it is a step the right direction!
Sometimes taking a look in the ‘mirror’ of your own self and your life can be difficult. No one wants to admit their faults. But looking at your life and having a gentle criticism of yourself can be healing.
What if you look in the mirror and see a sea of possibilities of areas to improve? My first suggestion would be to tackle the one that will be easiest to see results the fastest! That way you will be motivated to continue to improve. My second suggestion would be to write it down and set goals. Whether you journal or put it in your phone, writing it down is a concrete way to make a goal reality. A third suggestion would be to make your goal for improvement known. Tell your mother, your husband, your friend or your co-worker. Verbalizing your intention to another makes you more accountable and more likely to achieve your goal. Finally, celebrate your success! No matter how small the achievement, it is an improvement of yourself. This is worth of at minimum a small “chair dance party”!
Remember that no matter what change or improvement you make, that regardless of the outcome, it is the journey that is the real treasure. The whole intention of improving yourself and growing into a better version of yourself is the point. You will never be perfect but you can be better. We can all be better.