Progress, Not Perfection

I am a perfectionist at heart. That means that whatever I do - I strive for it to the best that I can do. Sounds good, right? Wrong. The problem is that I can ALWAYS do better - or more. If I'm cleaning the kitchen, I wash dishes, wipes counters, sweep floors, clean the stove top, and done. But there are windows that could be washed, cabinets that could be wiped, and a pantry that could be organized. And this is how my brain works. All the time. About everything. Yeah.

For my children, I have different standards than myself. I tell them constantly "practice does not make perfect". "Practice makes better." We strive to do better, but we are not perfect. "Progress, not perfection" I say to them. Maybe it's time I take my own advice.

As people, we often spend a lot of time looking around at others. Judging their lives, comparing our lives to their lives, and sometimes wishing we had what other people have. Compare. Compare. Compare. Comparing leads to discontent. And that is a 'treadmill' you don't want to get on.

Instead, I challenge myself and each of you to stop looking around you. Focus on your progress. Not perfection. But progress. Better today than I was yesterday. I will compete against myself. Myself of yesterday, last week, last month, and last year.

As a runner, you hear the saying "they are not your competition - you are". PR stands for personal record. When you PR in a race (or a run), it's not about beating someone else. It's about beating your last time or last record. It's about progress.

I think this is how it should be for all of life. Focus on yourself. Not others. No comparing. No looking around. Work each day to make progress for yourself. Be a better version of yourself today. Be stronger. Be more courageous. Be more generous. Be faster. Be smarter. Be wiser. Be kinder. Be healthier. Be more loving.

Progress, not perfection. This is the goal.

You are Enough

Hey Friend! I see you there. Trying to juggle everything on your to do list. Trying to take care of all those loved ones in your life. Sometimes neglecting yourself. Sometimes squeaking in some me time. It seems you are always behind. You can't catch up. If you just had a day... or a week... you could catch up and stay "on top of things". But it never seems to happen for you.

I just have a brief message for you. Stop. Breathe. Just be still for a moment. Now. There.

You Are Enough.

Do you believe that? That even if you don't get those to-do things completed, you are enough? Even if you don't make everyone in your world happy, you are enough? Even if you mess up... even if you feel like a failure... that you are enough?

You are not your accomplishments. You are not your job title. Who you are is not dependent on how other people see you. If your house is spotless. If your children are well-behaved. If your car is brand new. If your calendar is full or void of social activities.

That is not you. You are who you are inside. Without any "things" or anyone else's "label". And that is enough. You are enough.

Step out of the box you may have placed yourself in. Don't judge yourself. Don't label yourself. Don't listen to everyone else's voice (and not your own). Just be.

Be who you are. Be still and listen to your own heart. You are enough.

Sanctuary

We just returned from the kids' spring break from school. Each year we take the week and visit my sister and family in another state. Each year, the kids love and enjoy this break and neither want to leave when it's time to go home. The kids love their aunt and uncle and cousins. But there are more reasons why we all love it there.

Let's start with space. My sister lives on 28 acres of land. Lots of wide open space, trees, ponds, horses, and plenty of room to run around. We have flown kites high into the sky there. We have fished in the pond. We have hiked. We have played tag and hide and seek. And we have watched hummingbirds feed off one of many feeders in my sister's yard.

Also, outside there is a porch swing. My kids and I adore this swing. We sit on it each day we are there and swing and talk and laugh and look at the beautiful country. Sometimes the hummingbirds will come for a visit. Or the cat. Or even the horses!

One of my kids' favorite things about my sister's house is that we all sleep in the same room. They feel more relaxed and comfortable because of this. There are no nightmares or fears of the dark because we are all in the same room. Everyone sleeps better and longer most nights because of this.

The house itself is ranch style, which means there are no stairs. No stairs! Everyone is on the same level and never far from each other. My kids love running laps in the house and sliding down my sister's long wood floor hallway.

Time seems slower there. More abundant. It seems to stretch like a lazy cat in the middle of a nap. Days seem longer there. Unlike at home. Where our schedule seems to keep us so busy that we always feel rushed and scattered. There, we feel like we have all the time in the world. Unrushed. No hurry. Just breathe  - kind of time.

The greatest part of our spring break is being with family. The kids play with cousins and aunts and uncles. They hear stories about family and my childhood growing up. They see mom with her siblings and begin to understand how important family is. They see a lot of love and laughter in a short week. And it affects them. Probably more than they realize.

In short, I would say my sister's house is a like a sanctuary to me. It reminds me a lot of my childhood home.  Somewhere that always feel safe, happy, relaxing, and somewhere that you always want to return to, as often as you can.

(Thanks, sis, for a great week!)