Every so often consciously step off life’s ceaselessly churning wheels to catch your breath, take care of yourself and connect with your inner self. We all know of people who seem to take care of everyone and forget to do just a little for themselves. Many people, women in particular, are far more compassionate and kinder to others than to themselves.
Having personal high standards is different from being too self-critical or putting oneself on tremendous pressure to perform and succeed. The society we live in has taught us that to succeed we need to strive for more, work even harder, aim to be the best. We blindly follow this gospel without stopping to even consider whether our goals are possible, or whether they would even bring us lasting happiness. The more we accomplish, the harder we work and the more anxious we become about losing it all.
Our fight to retain our position at the top brings with it plenty of stress, pain and confusion. The problem is worse when the inspiration to do our best comes from the outside. The maddening competition to be better than the next person or to impress them with your success yields nothing but anxiety and depression.
If only we knew that it is impossible to be better than everyone at all times. If only we took time to celebrate and find the value in what we have achieved and learn to enjoy it for now. Start treating yourself with value not because of what you have done better than the next person but because you deserve care and appreciation like everyone else. When you do this, you will eventually replace the powerlessness caused by negative competition with inner strength and empowerment.
The secret to empowered action is learning not to beat yourself up – Confucius
If you feel overwhelmed at all times and are struggling to put a balance between the demands of life and your well-being or peace of mind, we’d like to invite you to consider a relationship with God, He is to us a very present help in times of need and the strength and peace that sustains us every day. Click on the banner below, you will watch a video that takes this message further.
Part of content sourced from africanwomanmagazine.net