I’m not sure if it’s self imposed or something society expects of us, but I’ve noticed a thought floating in my brain that I feel needs to be addressed. I believe I’m not the only one experiencing these feelings, so hopefully what I have to say resonates with someone out there. 

Whatever your profession or activity you choose to engage in, have you caught yourself trying to live up to an impossible standard of perfection? Or felt as if other people impose that expectation on you? 

As a running coach, am I supposed to run fast all the time, have limitless endurance and energy and win all my races? 

As a personal trainer, am I supposed to never struggle with my weight, my body image, crave unhealthy foods or battle lack of motivation? 

As a piano teacher, am I supposed to be able to sight read any piece of music with exactness and perfection? Am I supposed to be able to perform without feeling nervous or making mistakes? 

As a mother, am I supposed to have all the answers for how to teach my children to choose good friends, have self confidence, work hard in school and excel in their own activities. Am I supposed to expect the same perfection of my children that I am demanding of myself? Am I supposed to always know what to do without feeling guilty? Am I supposed to be able to do it all myself without asking for help? 

As a woman, am I expected to have a consistent positive self image, while staying humble and kind, but also stand up for myself, know exactly who I am and what I want but also be willing to adjust and bend to whatever society or my culture tells me I should do, say or believe? 

As a human, am I supposed to make all the right decisions, always be politically correct, save the planet, donate plasma, vote for the right candidates, all while keeping my own mental health and daily life in check without being questioned? 

The answer is a big, fat resounding no. 

Let’s just stop expecting perfection of ourselves and each other. The fact is we are all human. We are all different. We all make mistakes. We don’t feel on top of our game all the time. Sometimes we don’t even know what game we are playing. It’s important to recognize, have acceptance and gratitude for being where you are at this moment. It’s important to give yourself the space to just be and give the best of what you’ve got right now. Sometimes that’s going to be a lot. Sometimes simply getting out of bed is all there is to give. It’s all ok. We don’t have to be everything to everyone all the time. 

It’s ok. 

Just be. 

And when we’re ready, we can take what we’ve learned from our mistakes and grow and become exactly who we are meant to be.