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You’re doing amazing things. Really, you are. But, you’re probably way too hard on yourself.
Are you telling yourself that you need to come out of this time of turmoil and change with 17 new skills and a heightened clarity of purpose?
Or are you telling yourself that if you don’t whip yourself into ‘getting the most’ out of this time… this time of – let’s be real – uncertainty, fear, and (for many) loss of control over the trajectory of life… then you’re somehow lazy, or unmotivated, or a failure?
Hang on a minute!
Would you say all this to a friend? If a friend was having a tough time dealing with
All. The. Things?
If your friend was needing to be extra gentle with themselves, because what’s happening right now is triggering A LOT of emotional STUFF for them… would you tell your friend to just get a grip and snap out of it?
Would you be that kind of friend?
Are you that kind of a friend to yourself?
“You’re so hard on yourself. But remember, everybody has a chapter they don’t read out loud. Take a moment. Sit back. Marvel at your life: at the mistakes that gave you wisdom, at the suffering that gave you strength. Despite everything, you still move forward. Be proud of this. Continue to endure. Continue to persevere. And remember, no matter how dark it gets, the sun will rise again.” – from www.lessonslearnedinlife.com
So many of you work really hard! You care so much about your family, your friends, and your loved ones. Many of you are caring for elderly parents, caring for kids or sick family members. Or all of the above! Some of you struggle with health issues yourselves.
Many of you are working in stressful and challenging fields.
It’s a LOT. But you keep on showing up – with love and care and kindness and dedication – doing your best despite all of the challenges you face.
I know all this, because these are the kinds of stories I hear from Abundance Coders who send me private email messages and responses to my posts.
I’m both humbled and inspired by your stories.
Because you’re so Abundant in spirit.
Yes, that’s right. Abundance is about way more than good luck, or enjoying the fruits of easy endeavours. It’s about way more than money or external metrics of success. It’s about taking what you’ve got to work with, and doing your level best.
What does your “level best” even mean? It means doing your best from the level you are currently at.
Not from someone else’s level. Not from where you wish you were already. From where you are NOW.
Abundance is about having enough confidence in yourself to do some hard things sometimes. But it’s ALSO about having enough self-compassion to forgive the fact that you won’t always get it right.
Your pace is your pace, your journey is your journey. Your lessons are your lessons. And where you are right now, is okay. In fact, it’s more than okay. It’s the jumping off point for the next evolution of your life, that you’ll create from this moment on.
Encourage yourself (and others) to be the best person that you can be and to live your best life. That’s all. But do it with a good dose of compassion and kindness.
Self-compassion and kindness is the secret sauce that helps to unlock your next level of Abundance. True story.
Driving yourself relentlessly is not the answer. And being unforgiving of your innate human-ness just leads to burn-out.
As always, scroll down and let me know in the comments if this post has helped you in any way.
To YOUR Abundance,
Julie Ann Cairns
P.S. I mean it. Do something nice for yourself, okay? Even if it’s just making a cup of tea and taking time out for some quiet moments of reflection. Some moments of kindness and recognition for yourself. Give yourself a pat on the back. Because you deserve it!
