Personal Growth

Discovering How to Be Happy With Who You Are Now and Forever

Not Feeling Good Enough

Not Feeling Good Enough

I cannot do it all and neither can you. We desperately need to stop putting so much pressure on ourselves and comparing ourselves to others. Social media makes this constant comparison much too easy for us, and we spend A LOT of time on social media these days.

I used to be horrible at that. Who am I kidding? I still kind of am. I always think I have to be perfect at all times and be an expert at everything. And when I get into that mindset, I am not a happy person. I am really just okay.

Next thing you know, I am smiling and telling everyone I am great, when clearly I do not feel that way on the inside. Not even close.

But little by little, I am getting better. I realize that it is a problem for me, which is always the first step to fixing something. You have to acknowledge when something is not quite right because no one is happy ALL of the time. We are just not built that way. I feel so passionate about this topic, that I wrote a post about it called When You Just Do Not Feel Happy, which you should definitely read after this one.

So how do we know when our feelings of unhappiness stem from not feeling like we are enough? You need to just ask yourself, am I feeling anxious about not getting enough done? Do I feel dumber, fatter, uglier, or just plain not as good as someone else? Are intrusive thoughts about my overall unworthiness taking over the conversation in my head?

I am a Pinterest addict, let me tell you. When I was a stay-at-home mom, I was The Pinterest Mom. Every time one of my kid’s birthdays would be getting closer, I was suddenly a pinning maniac and spending all of my time preparing for the perfect party. I would find awesome invitations designed by professional graphic designers, and since I was too frugal to buy them, I would spend literally hours trying to make my own version of them. They actually turned out really well, and they are now keepsakes in my children’s perfect little scrapbooks (which I also obsessed over), but guess what? My kids do not remember any of it at all. They couldn’t care less to be perfectly honest. All they care about is spending time with me today.

I am more than enough to my family, so why am I never enough to myself?

Be Happy With Who You Are

Nowadays, when I see my friends posting pictures of their perfect fondant birthday cakes and the newest craft that is trending, I think well good for them. I truly hope it is bringing joy into their lives. But I know my limits now and that would not be fun for me at all. Over time, I have evolved into the mom who hands my kids a stack of paper, a glue stick, some glitter, and says have at it. And guess what, that is enough. I am enough. I no longer feel the need to be supermom. Now I send text invitations, put up a few balloons, and buy a bunch of food and a cake from Costco. Easy and done.

My days of pinning are far from over, but these days, I pin things that bring me true joy. I have zero interest in impressing anyone else with the perfect recipe, craft, decoration, fill in the blank.

So when I started my first and only Instagram account for Blue to Bliss, I knew right away I wanted it to be a real representation of my life. I have far too many friends who are obsessed with the perfectly lit and Photoshopped photos on Instagram and suffering actual depression over it. I have to remind them that unless they have a crew following them around with expensive equipment, a makeup person contouring their faces, and companies paying them for their services, they need to stop comparing themselves. I am genuinely happy for any professional success influencers receive because they are working hard at building a business and following their passions. I am not that put together and that is okay.

You are not in competition with anyone else. We can all succeed in our own ways and that is what makes life so incredible.

Will I continue to throw on a quick filter if the lighting on my two-year-old cell phone is off, sure why not? But I will also continue to post pictures without makeup on, with paint in my hair after I spent hours on my flip house, and with a mud mask on my face. That is the real me. I never want anyone looking at my page and thinking that I am better than them in any way because I am not. We can all win.

So the next time that you are feeling jealous at someone else’s promotion at work, feeling overwhelmed by every item stacking up on your to-do list, or feeling like the world’s ugliest, wrinkliest, chubbiest person next to all the perfect people on your social media feed, just remember that you are enough.

You cannot be perfect at everything. No one is. It is all just smoke and mirrors in a world where we only show off our best sides.

How to Be Happy With Who You Are

But you are enough. You are a capable, beautiful, intelligent, and talented person just as you were meant to be. Not anymore and certainly not any less.

So go out into the world feeling proud of who you are today. You have grown so much from your past. You are evolving into an even better version of yourself for the future. And you can teach others to accept themselves by your loud and proud example. You are more than enough!


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Brooke
the authorBrooke
Brooke Ressell is a lifestyle expert and the Founder of Blue to Bliss. She is passionate about helping others live their best lives through the practice of intentional living.

4 Comments

  • Awesome read! Its hard feeling like you are enough when it seems like comparing is all we do. Yes to being real imperfect human beings 💜

    • I am so glad you enjoyed my post. So many of us struggle with this including me from time to time. Let’s spread the word that we can all be real on social media and love ourselves just the way we are.

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