Hear me out on Self-Worth

    So I have this idea that our ability to give ourselves credit is related to our own self-worth. I may be wrong but hear me out.

    Life can be hard. That's and understatement. Life can  be arduous and overwhelmingly exhausting. Sometimes every moment comes with so much pressure to perform and to be 'just so' and if we are not 'just' so' then we beat ourselves up because the pressure is so high. But why is the pressure so high?And why do we need to be 'just so' instead of who we are at our core? Why can't you just be you and me just be me? We get so caught up in this idea that if we aren't being what society, friends, the church, our families think we should be then the phrases like "I am not enough.", "I'll never measure up.", "I am wasted space." and such start pouring into our heads. The more crap like this is perpetuated the more we see our own self worth dwindle. Focusing on all the ways you "don't measure up" to anyone else's standards or even the impossible ones you set for yourself is not the answer to success. Please don't get me wrong, striving for excellence is great! Just make sure you identify what excellence is for YOU and love yourself on the way there.

     There are several ways to show love to oneself. Let's just talk about a couple right now though. Grace. Give yourself some grace. If you are not where you want yourself to be whether it be in relationships, character, finances, business, or whatever, give yourself grace. Be nice to yourself. Forgive yourself and move on.You can't move forward and get to where you want to be if you are always looking back over your shoulder at all the ways you've messed up. Trust me, I know. I have stayed stagnant in my life more times than I can count being overwhelmed by grief for the poor choices I've made and too struck by fear to try again for the chance that I may screw up again. It's life people! :) We are all just doing the best we can. We are all in it together. So let's learn from our mistakes and move on with grace. You are worth it!!!

     Another way you can show love for yourself is..... you've guessed it....giving yourself credit. By simply giving yourself credit when credit is due tells yourself you ARE worth it, you did good there, you can succeed, you are enough. Congratulating yourself on the the successes in your life, however small, builds your value in your own mind. Then, when those pesky nasty thoughts come into your mind you have ammo to fire back. "Not today Worthless Thoughts! I have my arsenal of Credit and I'm building up some more today!" Giving yourself credit can open up a whole new word of confidence in yourself, like seeing the world through new eyes.

     I've found all of this to be true for myself. I've found that this simple act has great implications on my character. I don't have to look to someone else to affirm my worth, I can do that for myself.
Wait. Did you catch that?
I  don't  have  to  look  to  someone  else  to  affirm  my  worth,  I  can  do  that  myself.
You don't have to either. Now, I'm not saying that everyone reading this blog has this issue but I'm pretty sure more people have this issue than we are aware. So I'm just putting it out there. I would tell you, "You are worth it." but I think you can find and know that for yourself.


   

A Word on Chatacter

     When I think about Giving Myself Credit I prefer to take a look at things dealing with character. Not to say that there isn't a great deal of day to day activities I could/should/can/will give myself credit for. There is just something so much deeper than that governing our lives and in that place, the deep place, is where true happiness lies. 

   With that in mind, I compliment myself on accomplishments like: taking time to laugh and nourish my soul, taking time to be alone so that I can nourish myself, pursuing passions of mine like photography, enriching my children's lives beyond the physical, taking time to listen rather waiting for my turn to talk, etc. It's these things that I find purpose in, my purpose. These things bring meaning and fulfillment in a way that nothing else in this rat race of life could ever do. Focusing on becoming my greatest version and the strides I've made in that direction, as oppose to all of the ways I am not my greatest version and how impossible it seems to get there. is my goal.

     Maybe, just maybe, all of you out there in the inter webs could do that too. Maybe even just for  a day remind yourself of all the awesomeness that is inside of you, spilling out all over the place with every encounter, interaction, and even thought you have...
There is no one on earth that can be as awesome at being you as you can!

     Now that I have shared my heart with you I guess I will move on to sharing my "Woohoo! GO Elaine! It's your Birthday!" (lol) moments recently.
 
     I have been doing a much better job about opening up my heart and mouth and being vulnerable. I love being in relationships where this type of deepness is appreciated, accepted, and welcomed! The tough part comes when things get rocky. It's hard to put your soft, little, squishy heart out there on a boulder and hope that it doesn't get smashed. That tends to be a bit messy when the smashing happens. BUT I have been courageous!!!!! dun dun da dun.... charge......*cavalry running into battle*

      Photography. It soothes my soul. I revel in getting that "just right" shot. I love going out into nature and zooming in to find the beauty that is often overlooked. To take in all that is small and vulnerable but yet perseveres in the most graceful manner, like the tiny ant gathering nectar or the blooming  flower rising to the occasion, it's inspiring. It turns out that there are some people out there that enjoy looking at what I capture as well! :D So I have started working on a means to sale my work and share my passion:) Purpose. I am finding so much purpose in this! Seeing that I can fully embrace who I am and have, not only myself but, others find value in that. It's empowering!!!

   That's all I have for this post. Pop your head in and check in another time. I'd love to share more with you :)

Until next time why don't you try #givingmyselfcreditj

What It's All About

     Great heaps of people tend to think of themselves as the sum of their mistakes, focusing on all the bad decisions they've made and all they DIDN'T do. I know I have for the majority of my life.
   
     Giving Myself Credit daily has been the solution for me. I've forced myself to acknowledge that there IS good in me and about me. There are surely many things I mess up or I do that don't measure up to my standards (which may be set a bit too high) and those are easy for me to find. What's not so easy, is finding even 5 good things to say about the way I handled myself or what I've accomplished each day. Great intention must be applied! I tell you though, taking 5 or 10 minutes each night to write down and even share with others the way I at least survived the day gives me the positive outlook and momentum needed to conquer the next. The more I practice this simple exercise the easier it is for me to claim my success throughout the day. Not so that I become haughty but that I don't see myself as a failure. A BIG FAT FAILURE.

     Wait a minute, do you see yourself as a failure, mentally beating yourself up at the drop of a hat? Feelings of defeat flowing through you more often than not? Having self-worth issues, not feeling like you are enough? Well, you are not defeated or a failure unless you give up and you are still breathing so you must be still fighting. You can beat this thing! You are enough!
Give yourself some credit!!

 #givingmyselfcredit enables people to reflect on the positive they've done.