Want to Stop Being So Hard on Yourself?

Stop being so hard on yourself.

Has anyone ever said this to you? Well I feel like I hear it all the time! It’s a process of letting shit go and realizing that I’m the only one that holds myself up to the impossible standard of perfection that I think is necessary to get by in this world. 

Deep down inside (or right there on the surface) you also want to portray this picture of perfection to the world. Immaculate home, debt free, healthy diet, always on time and ready for "company".

It's ok. I know exactly where you are coming from. But I have learned that in reality, we are the only ones that hold ourselves up to such ridiculous standards. 

Are you ready to learn the one thing that can truly lead you toward a more positive mindset so that you can let go and stop being so hard on yourself?

I was introduced to meditation 20 years ago. At first, I thought it was just a really cool relaxation exercise. And very soon learned that breath work and quieting the mind would open my life up to a world of magic that I could never imagine.

In the past, I would stress about everything. If there was a club named Perfectionist People Pleasers, I would be the President! I needed everything to be perfect and I wanted everyone around me to see it and be amazed at what an awesome (fill in the blank) that I created for them. Well, guess what? The only thing that I ended up accomplishing was a stressed out frustrated version of myself because perfect is impossible! Even if I was able to please the people, I never believed the compliments because in my view, what I did was not good enough.

Shavasana!

One day a friend of mine convinced me to go to a yoga class with her. If you are anything like me, the best part was the end. Shavasana! It's an exercise where you just lay there! Seriously, this was the best invention in the world! The instructor led us through the most beautiful guided meditation that took me out of my head and into my truth. I kept going to yoga class. It put me into the best physical shape of my life, but the mediation at the end is where the real change began.

I want to be honest with you, I stopped doing yoga on a regular basis. I have never been one to keep up with an exercise routine, even if it gave such amazing results. My meditation practice also became more sporadic. I was very dedicated to being a Perfectionist People Pleaser! Yoga and Meditation gave me a strong physical body and joyful connection to my Higher Power, while perfectionism and people pleasing left me feeling unsuccessful and empty. No matter how hard I worked, it was never good enough in my eyes. Friends and family would sing my praises and I kept thinking it was all a load of crap.

For a very long time, I would go to a meditation class here and there to recharge my batteries. All the while my mind kept telling me that would be enough to keep me going. But my heart would whisper "If you meditate everyday, what would life be like then?" I kept making the unwise choice and followed my mind.

Then when life really started to ramp up, a career change, and choosing to be in a relationship where I found love and joined a family already in progress, that whisper in my heart started getting louder and louder. If I don't start to connect to my true self and God on a regular basis, everything is going to fall apart. Everything was ticking me off! If I had to pick up one more shoe that was tossed in the middle of the living room floor and answer the question, "What's for dinner?" one more time, I was going to LOSE IT!

Well, I lost it...

And then I committed to go back to what I knew worked. Regular meditation. And that is where all of the answers were revealed to me.

You need to fill your cup every day.

Committing to a regular meditation, and by regular I mean daily not weekly or monthly or whenever you think you “need” to, will start to make life feel more simple. Once you begin connecting to your breath, your truth, your higher power, God, the day begins to flow. Don’t get me wrong. There are still struggles. But you will see there is another option.

You don’t have to dwell on the struggles. Life doesn’t have to be so hard. Life actually can be full of beauty and LOVE.

We have all heard the saying "You can't serve from an empty cup" or "Secure your oxygen mask before helping others.

PLEASE start your day by filling your cup! You can use your Have a Great Day Planner to help you get started. If you don’t have yours already, click this link to get one today Have A Great Day!

You need to create this new habit. 15-30 minutes every morning of quiet time. Don't give up! I know this sounds crazy at first. Keep going... You can do this. One day you might find yourself at the end of an hour long meditation! The benefits of starting the day in stillness, connecting to your higher power will change your life! There are several guided meditations available online, or you can find one in my ebook, Secrets for Less Stress. Check it out here Secrets for Less Stress and use the coupon code LETITGO10 and start living with less stress today for only $9!