You are Enough
It’s a short jump from thinking “I didn’t do enough” to “I’m not enough”
When my kids were younger, the constant inner dialogue of "I'm not doing enough" was my unwelcome mantra. It would creep into my head offering up things such as:
I should have found time to get to the park.
I didn't play long enough with them today.
I could have read one more story.
And over time, this thinking transformed itself from not doing enough into "I'm not enough."
Because the way we talk to ourselves shapes how we think and feel about ourselves. And what I was creating was my own inner mean girl.
It took me years to work my way out of this mindset, and I don’t want that for you so I created 3 simple steps to stop the “not enoughness” in your brain:
Recognize the Narrative: Notice when the thoughts of "I'm not doing enough" start creeping in. Awareness is the first step toward change.
Challenge Your Inner Critic: Question the validity of these thoughts. Are they based on unrealistic expectations or societal pressures? In my case - if I had stayed all day at the park could I have realistically made it home to feed, bathe and read all of the stories to the kids? No - that was an unrealistic goal.
And finally -Practice Self-Compassion: Remember that you are doing the best you can with the resources and energy you have.
My friends, please remember -
You Are Enough
Just As You Are.