Since, perhaps the beginning of time, women have felt the need to reach perfection. To be the perfect homemaker, mother, wife and career women. To look our best at all times and never show our flaws.. Society has made it this way, or perhaps, it's just in our natural make-up. Technology has added to the pressure.
Everywhere you look, whether it's turning on the TV, browsing Pinterest, or even reading blogs... there is pressure to be better, to look better, to achieve more. At times, it can be overwhelming and quite disheartening.
Look at her. She always looks so gorgeous and put together. I need to be more like her.
She manages to work, care for her family, and has an amazing body. It must be so easy for her! I need to be more like her.
Her home looks like it came out of a magazine! Everything always in it's place and she has time to spare! I need to be more like her.
Look at all the creative activities she does with her kids. How lucky they are to have a mother like her! I need to be more like her.
She's only been running a month and can already run an 8 minute mile! I've been running for months and have yet to achieve that! How does she do it? I need to be more like her.
I think we have all been victim of the above thinking at one time or another. I know I have, and frequently. But then, several weeks ago, a little two year old boy taught me a valuable lesson in the simplest of ways.
While working out with me, Wyatt was struggling to lift some 2 pound weights far above his head. He grunted and struggled for quite some time. I chuckled to myself watching him. It's just two pounds, you silly little goose.
When at least he succeeded, he jumped up and down in triumph, "I did it, Mamma! I supa song!" Wyatt's only two. He didn't care that they were only two pounds. He doesn't care if anyone else can lift more. All that mattered, was he did his best. And he succeeded.
Everywhere you look you are going to see people putting up the perfect front. It comes naturally to only share our successes or things we are proud of. But keep in mind, you aren't seeing the behind the scenes.
Who cares if someone is thinner, faster or stronger than you. Who cares if their home appears to be perfect. Who cares! You aren't in competition with anyone. You are strong because you are perfectly YOU! True success will come when you stop trying to beat everyone else, and you work on beating yourself. Be better than you were yesterday.
Just because someone might be able to run further or faster than you, does not make you any less of a runner. Just because someone can lift double what you can does not mean you aren't strong. Just because someone is losing weight faster than you, does not make you a failure. We are all fighting our own battles. Don't compare yourself to anyone else. Work on you and only you.
Love this! It is so true. I think you are right that we have all fallen victim to the "perfect woman" syndrome. It is time to focus on our successes!
ReplyDeletea very valuable life lesson there, Tiffany! I tend to be very judgmental, including with myself, and it's something I have to resist daily. But the only thing we need to judge ourselves against, are our own health and mental health targets. I don't even use the word goals, because those are frought with expectations that are usually arbitrary. Every night I ask God to make me better, and every day I strive for only that. Just being the best that we can be; that day, that particular moment. It's all anyone can ask of us, including ourselves. :)
ReplyDeleteTiffany, you have the right ideas! Sometimes it it hard to put those into practice. Age has helped. I have figured out that most people are going around thinking about what everyone else is thinking about them. Even the people that look perfect are telling themselves that something doesn't quite measure up. I think just knowing that has helped me to feel more comfortable with being totally who I am. There are always people out there who are critical of others, usually because they don't really like themselves.
ReplyDeleteSorry I didn't mean to get on a soapbox. I enjoyed your post. I am visiting from Motivation Monday.