Blogtober Day 17: On Taking Oneself Too Seriously

I am feeling much better today!  Incredible what a good night's sleep will do to morale.

Here comes a ramble.  I actually do have a lot to do today, so I'm not going to take time editing and revising this very much.  So basically it is going to be all over the place.  But that's ok.

Putting pressure on yourself.  What does that honestly accomplish?  Aside from driving yourself off the deep end, that is.  I don't know exactly where and when society drove us to believe we all had to be these perfect versions of ourselves, but I think that needs to stop.  Or maybe we just need to stop putting so much stock in what is expected of us.  Maybe it is better if we just learn to be honest with ourselves as far as what our "best" is, and then be that.  I mean, when someone says they will do the best they can, what does that mean in that moment?  That they will do the best job according to someone else's ideals?  Or that they will do their best?

Maybe we are so far from content because we have gotten lazy with ourselves.  So many of us (myself included now and then) go day to day performing the tasks asked of us in a routine manner.  How many of us go to work and simply work through the pile of paperwork to meet a deadline?  If you are going to do that paperwork anyway, why not put some effort into it?

I feel like we sell ourselves short.  And in the process, create these illusions of what perfection, or a good job really is.  I think we would all be much happier if we were less lazy.

I really want to speak to the idea of loving ourselves more.  And a big way to push that along is to get rid of unrealistic ideals.  Not just unrealistic like, unattainable.  More like, unrealistic... unaspirational?  Does that even make sense?

What I mean is, I usually start the day thinking ok, I need to get this and this and this done.  If I don't, I feel like I have failed in my day.  That I am a failure.  What I forget in that moment, is that the other two things I DID do, I did really well!

By praising our successes and acknowledging what our capabilities truly are, I think we are allowing ourselves to live more fully and happily.

There is an article I read recently that gives some great advice on putting the right pressures on ourselves.

The End.