The Everyday

Lately, I have noticed that the pressure we put on ourselves to achieve was becoming a regular visitor. I have to admit; this is an easy trap to fall prey to, as constant reminders encompass our every day that everybody is achieving all they have ever desired.

I also have to admit that there are times when this pressure to compete to achieve almost feels oppressive. As if in just a few short years, the concept of happiness, joy, and hope has evolved into not only something everyone can easily attain but also should achieve. Rendering any compromise in its pursuit as a failure of your conception.

It may not be publicly said, but the actions of many suggest that this has become our collective truth. Like we live in a society of never-ending success, or at least the projected image of it. But while we focus on this so-called success, we risk getting caught up in proving its truth. Proving we are happy, we are positive, and we are successful. Yet while running around proving these facts, we may be just creating an inner conflict that makes the underlying truth hard to swallow and better left unsaid.

So are we all truly happy? Are we all living a life that is true to our values? Are we all undertaking the journey of life aligned with what we feel, think and desire? And when nobodies watching, do our actions genuinely represent our truth?

My truth is relatively straightforward. I try to remain positive; I try to find the upside; I try to find an outcome I can pallet. But I also make sure that I acknowledge that there are times when I feel disappointed, when I feel fear, when I get frustrated and wonder if I am enough; if it is all worth it. 

Some may see this as a weakness in our endless pursuit of achievement but I see it differently. These moments of doubt have been my greatest teachers. While trying to achieve all I desire for myself and everyone else, Of course I have moments of pure failure, moments where the goal of achievement seems further away than when I started.

Do these moments of perceived failure, setbacks and not achieving feel good? Of course not. They hurt, they make me doubt myself and my chosen path. They feel incredibly uncomfortable and that is the whole point.

To change a habit or reaction that holds you back from achieving what you desire, you have to embrace and acknowledge personal flaws. You have to own the fact that you are not perfect or the finished article, and you need to make peace with this feeling and search for the emotions associated with it. You have to get to the bottom of the story you have created and re-write it. Changing the ending to something that will serve you better.

You have to be happy knowing that it's quite normal to be wrong at times and is often a hidden gift. It may not feel it at the time, but understand that the uncomfortable feeling of so-called failure has risen to lead you along a path where you can achieve on your terms. In short, failing to achieve is a vital component of personal growth, and personal growth is the foundation for most of life's greatest achievements.

The unrealistic pressure we put on ourselves to achieve may be the very reason we are not. Achieving anything worthwhile takes time, effort and mistakes. Let go of the pressure to succeed, enjoy the journey, the ups, and downs, learn the lessons, sit with the uncomfortable feelings and you may find that you are already achieving far more than you ever thought possible.