Motivational Monday: Leaving Perfection Behind For A Healthier Life

Monday.

A new week. A chance for a restart. A chance to make positive changes.


Mondays can also mean.


Annoyance from the weekend being over. Fatigue from having to wake up early. Anger because you are working a job you hate. Stress because it's the holiday season so we are working more.


How often do you let the stress of your job and life define your worth? How often do you let financial stress dictate your daily actions? How often do you compare yourself to others in hopes to one day have worth?

^^^ I am the product of constantly striving for perfection and when I fall short I question my worth, value and honestly my existence. I am the product of someone who goes all in all the time and when their best efforts are not enough they breakdown in an unhealthy way and question whether or not their place here matters.

Until recently, I was striving to achieve some personal goals that I thought I wanted but when I truly dug deep I realized those goals I was trying to achieve were only because of others'. These "personal goals" I thought I wanted to achieve were only because that was what everyone else was doing. I didn't want those goals. Yet, I thought I did because I compared myself to others and defined my worth by running their race, not my own.

Do you know what this got me?

Disappointment and tears...all because I didn't think I was as good as those around me.

It took recent tragedies for me to realize that, I am so blessed by just being the person God intended me to be. That I am me, not those that are around me, and that person I have become is who I was meant to be. It took losing my grandfather and then my father to realize I had unattainable goals and if I continued down the path I was going it was going to turn destructive.

It took these tragedies to realize that tomorrow truly is a gift, the future is not guaranteed and I have to take today, this moment, this second to make my existence matter. That I need to stop striving to be like others and just love myself. That I need to set goals that are going to achieve my real personal goals not the goals of others. I am fully realized that my place, my existence, is where my strength comes from. God has given me the tools to achieve the goals I need to achieve.

So what does all of this mean?

I was that person who determined their worth by other's words. I was that person who had to have everyone like them. I was that person that wore things, did things, said things so others would think they were cool....I am not that person anymore and I have found true inner peace by learning that my interests are mine. That the clothes I wear do not define my worth and that keeping up with anyone is a waste of time.

Don't allow others to define your worth. Go into each day with a priority list of the things you want to do, a list of the things you need to get done. Then, at the end of your day, I want you to look at yourself and say, "I gave it my all and that determines that I won my day." Stop trying to run the race of others. Learn from my mistakes and realize that if you are a good, genuine person. If you try daily to do what matters to you and live your live by your standards then you already are AMAZING!

Don't worry about who is going to support you, if your friends are going to like your decisions or your new lifestyle changes. Don't worry about what anyone thinks or cares about. Only worry about you, and your efforts, and what you love and enjoy. Those that truly matter, that truly support, that truly care about you will be there in the end....and those few people are who you should spend your time with.

Realize today, in this moment, in this second that you matter and you deserve true happiness.

Happy Monday <3