005: You are not a machine
Today I want to offer up a compassionate and kinder definition for trying your best.
Episode transcript:
Hello, Daily Peppers, and a very happy Tuesday to you. Today, I wanna dive into something I've got a bit of a long history with, And that is the term, trying your best. When I was in school, I went through a period of time where I'd get really bad bronchitis from pushing myself too hard. Instead of seeing it as a warning sign, it would almost become this badge of honor. I literally got to the point where I genuinely believed if I didn't end up with bronchitis, that I simply hadn't tried hard enough. I equated trying your best with sacrificing yourself Until the bitter end. Trying your best was working until you got sick, and then and only then would it be okay to stop. The truth is, as women especially, we're brought up with pretty fucked up markers of doing our best, sacrificing ourselves at all costs, and pushing ourselves too hard.
And instead of seeing the experiences as a lesson that we went too hard, we just work on the assumption That working ourselves to the point that we become physically and emotionally ill is simply normal. Sometimes, I think it's worth stopping to examine our own definitions, where they come from, and if they're even true in the 1st place. We live in a world where busyness is glorified, Where often our effort is only recognized when we look haggard. I know the same is true for me all these years later. While I'm living with a new definition of trying my best, which I'll share in a second, there are still people around me who reserve their finest praise for when I'm absolutely exhausted. I know it's not about living by praise, but no matter what the self help books would say otherwise, our ego loves praise. So today, I want to offer up a new definition of trying your best. A kinder, more compassionate, An ultimately much more realistic version because the one we're living by, well, it's bullshit.
The less grueling definition is doing your best is trying your hardest without depleting yourself, Without collapsing the heap at the end of the day and working in alignment with your values, it's about looking at each individual day and getting honest about what your best looks like on that particular day. It's not about sacrificing yourself and instead it's about noting how you're actually feeling versus what you think you should to be feeling. It's not about pushing yourself when everything in you need to break. It's about honoring your own journey And acknowledging that your journey is not the same as everyone else's, and that's okay. It's about honoring the fact that, and I know this isn't Popular opinion, and I know we don't wanna hear it. We all have limitations. Our bodies and our minds can only take so much Because you are not a machine. If you're listening to this, I can guarantee you that you're someone who tries her best.
I can guarantee you that you're conscientious, that you're always striving to be your best self, and doing things for others. And because all of that is irrefutably true, I know for a fact that you need to give yourself a break and write yourself a new definition. We are all too often our very best rule makers and our very worst cheerleaders. So for this week, imagine what being your own cheerleader would entail. And write your own definition of trying your best, or feel free to adopt mine. Treat yourself like the wonderfully imperfect human you are because you, my dear, are not a machine, and thank goodness for that. I would love to know what you're thinking of The Daily Pep so far. Send me an email.
I'm over at meg[at]thathummingbirdlife.com, or alternatively, pop over to Itunes and leave a rating or a review. Every rating or review helps women who need the podcast find it, And it helps spread courage like wildfire. So see you tomorrow morning, and remember, everything changes when you believe you matter.
Episode transcript automatically produced by Castmagic.io
ABOUT THE DAILY PEP! PODCAST
New episodes air every Monday - Friday 6AM GMT
A short, snappy and sassy daily podcast to keep your internal - and external - dreamshitters at bay!
A short, snappy and sassy daily podcast to keep your internal - and external - dreamshitters at bay!
The Daily Pep! is the rebel-rousing, daily podcast for couragemakers, creative, multi-passionate and unconventional women. If you’re surrounded by people who don’t get who you are or what you do, if you want reminders you’re on the right path (no matter how scary it feels), or you’re sick of being your very own worst enemy, this is the podcast for you. Every weekday, your host - writer, coach and professional rebel-rouser - Meg Kissack helps you build a creative and wholehearted life, one day at a time. Through short and snappy insights, reminders and stories, The Daily Pep! is here to remind you you’re not alone, and that everything changes when you believe you matter. Each episode is short and snappy, designed to fit in with (or help you start) your habits and routines
