April 23rd
Give Yourself a Break
Learn to appreciate yourself and others.
Knowing we desire growth and improvement is one thing. Constantly driving ourselves and others is another. Maybe the answer isn't that we need to do better, try harder, push more. Maybe the answer is recognizing and appreciating how well we already do things. How hard we try. How much we have done. How well others are doing, too.
Pushing ourselves can become so habitual that we deny ourselves any feeling of satisfaction. No matter how well or how much we do, the urge to try harder, do better, do more keeps pushing us on. It doesn't let us rest. We still feel it isn't quite good enough.
If you've been pushing yourself that hard, you may need more than a coffee break. Take a real break. Give yourself permission to put that drive aside. Quiet that part of you that wants to do more, be more, accomplish more. Learn to value how well you do things, even if no one else sees or appreciates your efforts. Applaud your own effort and the efforts of those you love. For today and for one week, instead of demanding more from yourself, tell yourself how well you've done. For today and for one week, instead of demanding more from those around you, tell them that they are doing well, too.
Tell yourself how well you do. You may discover you're doing better than you thought.
(From the book Journey To The Heart by Melody Beattie)
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