One of my new entrepreneur friends and I have been corresponding over email a lot lately. She’s having a tough time. It’s really hard to do what they’re doing. We don’t really think about it, but running a for-benefit type of business is really like running a regular for-profit company and everything that entails. Then, adding a non-profit mission as the center and the beneficiary.
She’s basically running two companies (in two continents!) mostly by herself.
It’s no wonder she’s tired. It’s obvious why she’d feel stressed about the work never being done. It’s not a surprise that she feels down sometimes.
It’s easy to want to hug her.
I want to do everything I can to rally the troops to support her. I want to better understand her struggles to figure out a way to make it better. I want to call her every single day to cheer her on and tell her how she’s changing the world. I want her to see what I can see.
Not for one second would I judge her.
It’s so easy to have grace and empathy for our friends, our kids or almost anyone else in our lives. When we see them struggling, we can also see their circumstances and give them grace.
It makes sense that they might feel down or sad and we don’t judge them.
We jump in to help them or show up to sit with them. We don’t expect them to have it all figured out.
It’s not that easy to show the same kind of empathy and grace to ourselves.
When it comes to our own lives, our expectations are pretty high. We see our own failures, difficulties and shortcomings. We make judgements and criticize.
We tell ourselves we’re not good enough.
Sometimes the last thing we think is to rally the troops, to be open to better understand our struggles, or to cheer ourselves on. We simply judge ourselves. Not only for our performance, but also for our feelings about our performance. It’s exhausting.
If you’re reading these words, listen up.
You are good enough.
Your heart. Your mind. Your body. Your hands. Your resources.
You’re enough.
No, you’re more than enough.
“You are imperfect, you are wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging.” ~ Brene Brown
It’s time to show yourself a little of the grace you all too often reserve for everyone else.
No one is judging you, but you.
Pay attention to that today and ease up a little, would you?
to more love,
Crystal
