It’s Okay To Be A Work In Progress
You always begin somewhere. It is okay to be a work in progress.
There was a burn in my lungs and an ache in my legs as sweat poured down my face and back. Why had I chosen this again? What had possessed me to take up running and join my high school cross country team?
Every runner starts at the beginning. There is the first step. Then the first block. Next the first mile. And then there is the first race. A series of firsts!
My beginning months of running were far from enjoyable but with each day, each mile, each practice, each training and each race I became a runner. As a result, I went from struggling through a mile to consistently hitting five miles most practices and running three in our weekly races with comparative ease. I found my gait, learned how to hold myself, found mental endurance and strengthened my muscles and body.
You always begin somewhere. It’s okay to be a work in progress.
We are all works in progress! No one has it fully figured out. No one has a perfect life. Instead of beating yourself up for where you aren’t, take a look back and see how far you’ve come. Affirm yourself for where you are right now.
I’m so thankful to see the confidence, strength and grace I’ve gained over the years. While at the same time I am hopeful to grow in those ways even more. I’ve learned to be okay with being a work in progress.
Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection. – Mark Twain
It’s okay to be a work in progress
We are all getting there. Today I’m sharing four affirmations and personal growth steps you can take!
Write yourself a letter of affirmation
Pretend for a moment you aren’t you and say every lovely, kind thing you would say to a friend or parent or child and say it to yourself. I’ve had a series of let downs recently that have left me feeling pretty bummed out. I know what it’s like to swallow my pride. In fact I’ve had to readjust my course. When this happens it’s easy to start focusing on your imperfections as a person. You start to see nothing else, but your weaknesses and failures. It’s honest to feel wounded pride, to wonder why you weren’t “good enough” as you are. You start to compare where others are and give yourself over to discontent.
Let your doubt, worry and fear slip away. You are enough. Let’s admit it, you are not perfect, but you are not stuck. Maybe there is a feeling of being trapped inside of you. What I want you to know is that there is space to stretch, to move and to grow. There is the next moment to try again.
Yes, we have all experienced disappointments, loss, and confusion. And yet we are still here. Still standing. See in yourself the gifts you have to give. Look at your compassionate heart that responds to another’s hurt and grief. Reflect on your graciousness that understands when criticism, inconsideration, thoughtlessness and forgetfulness do not take you into account and love anyways. Recognize your kindness without expectation. See the beautiful gifts you have.
What would you say to yourself in a loving, encouraging letter? You might surprise yourself. A letter of affirmation to yourself will be freeing.
Gain Experience
There is a temptation to say “if only we’d known,” but isn’t that the point? We learn so much through experience. Sometimes through wonderful, fantastic and beautiful experiences, but other times through tough, confounding and trying experiences. The thing to focus on is that we learn! For example take a class or learn a new skill. Try a new recipe. Read a book. Put yourself out there. Seek out a mentor. In addition you have to be willing to not be the best at something. In fact, you have to be willing to fail.
The key to being a work in progress is to keep growing in positive ways. Go out there and experience life. Seek out a new adventure. Take on a new challenge.
Experience that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my god do you learn. C.S. Lewis
Dive into Community
Seek out authentic, deep, thriving community. There is nothing like being surrounded by a genuine, intentional community. When I make the effort to be deep in relationships it is scary to be vulnerable, but it is, oh so, worth it. We were created to be in community. Not shallow surfacy stuff. Real, intimate community. This means getting out of comfort zones, it means being honest, it means opening up and it means trusting. So find the people you can be you with.
I’m so thankful for the people who are a part of my community. I’m beyond blessed to have such real and supportive people surrounding me. I love the community of believers young and old that I weekly Worship with. I’m blessed by the group of friends who have grown into a community I deeply enjoy gathering with. I’m amazed at the community of creatives I have met and made through blogging and social media!
Embrace Your Unique Identity
Do you ever struggle with your sense of identity? Some days I feel so confident. Other days, not so much.
I find my greatest struggle in identity is when I compare my current self to the self I’ve fooled myself into believing I should already be. As if I haven’t become her yet or hit a benchmark of who I should be at this point in life. I rip my sense of self to shreds unable to match a single expectation of this elusive her. I begin to believe every ugly lie and untruth about myself. Those lies are each an anchor. Each anchor keeping me from going anywhere.
We each have been created so uniquely! God has beautifully designed us each as one of his marvelous masterpieces! Each of us with a wonderful individuality that is all our own! Likewise, no one is you. Stop listening to a world screaming at us to conform to the status quo. And definitely don’t listen to the beauty magazines and high fashion spreads that tell us we aren’t beautiful just as we are.
Comparison at any level only robs us of our joy. Dear sweet ones we were made to be joyful. That sweet joy is life giving! Most importantly it feeds and fills our souls until it spills over into every corner of our lives. I say embrace it! Embrace you and that beautiful, unique identity of yours.
Be brave and be you! And don’t forget: It’s okay to be a work in progress!
Share this with someone who could use some affirmation today.
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