Have you ever compared yourself to some one else who you knew had it all together and questioned your own abilities, or worried that people could see right through you to all your self doubts?
I hope so! Have you ever heard the expression that if you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room?
We are conditioned to aim for perfection, and anything less means we have room for improvement. (I remember a time when I literally went into my professors office and argued my way from a 98 to a 100.) The trouble with that is that if we are too afraid to be anything less, we hold ourselves back from being uncomfortable - and it is the uncomfortable situations that are where the growth happens.
When you try something new, or push yourself in ways that you haven’t done before, there are going to be times where you doubt yourself and there are even going to be times you screw up and have to start over. But, what is the alternative? Do you already have everything you want in life? Are you already exactly the person you want to be? If not, you have room to grow and that means there will occasionally be growing pains.
Turning 40 last week was something that I used to fear, it meant getting old, and being past all the good stuff. Instead, I celebrated because I am so happy I am not still the person I was when I was 18. I work hard to become a better version of myself every day and that means I will continue to grow, even through the hard days, and I am excited to see where I will be in another 10, 20, 30 years (and hopefully will have that opportunity.)
So, today, instead of living in the comparison game, give yourself grace to fall down, to be exactly where you are in your journey, and to keep showing up anyway.