Exclude Yourself From This Narrative

I was scrolling through social media and came across this meme that broke my heart. (I'll pop it in at the bottom.) In it was one of the cruelest things I used to tell myself. It has been my biggest obstacle. Self doubt, anxiety, anger that I didn't do things differently. That cruel narrative that I haven't done enough used to consume me. 

The fear of failure, the fear of disappointing someone, fear of making the wrong choice. 

 I accomplished a lot in the last year and a half. Probably the most I've done since graduating high school. I also lost a lot with the down pour that is 2020. That picture floods me with empathy because I related to it so much, but at some point we have to throw out that narrative. We have got to stop comparing our lives to others. Social media has made this comparison game so much worse. It's so easy to see these polished pictures of smiles, nice things, these adventures and take them at face value. Even the happiest people have issues, hurdles, and doubts. 

No one is perfect. We graduate high school and that's it. The flood gates open, and I hope you have a life raft because it's unknown seas from here. Life will happen. It'll happen to us, for us, and sometimes it'll feel against us. Some will move slower than others, and that's ok. I was one of those people. We're supposed to make mistakes. We're allowed to change our minds after getting a degree, it's ok to reinvent ourselves. Sometimes we have to start over to accomplish that. 

Shred the note, burn it, toss it in the bin. Whatever you have to do to stop telling yourself you should have done more by now. You've done enough. You've done what you can, and despite what you might think - you have grown. 

Even if it doesn't feel like it, you're exactly where you need to be. Even if that place is the shittiest hole you've ever dug yourself. Because even that will turn into a stepping stone, though it might not feel like it right now. 

 In case no one has told you today, you're doing great. To quote the one and only Mike, The Situation: "The come back is greater than the setback." (Yes, I am quoting Jersey Shore.)