What are you currently trying to be the "best" at? What is something you want to perfect about yourself? Is it your faith life, a relationship, your health, your body image, your career? We all have areas of our lives we are trying to work on and become the best at but is being the best really what we should be aiming for?
This past Sunday, the pastor at my local church spoke on this topic of being the best versus being healthy. Being the perfectionist that I am, this message really challenged me and has been on my mind this whole week.
For those of you that don't know me, I am all about clean eating and working out. For the past three and a half years, I have taken an interest in researching and experimenting with my diet and fitness routine. I've tried just about any diet change to see how my body reacts to it and love finding workouts that challenge me. Currently, I am eating mostly natural foods and working on finishing the two months of Shaun T's Insanity Max:30. I am feeling great but am looking forward to training for the Pittsburgh 1/2 Marathon in May. I will be cross training with Chalene Johnson's PiYo to ensure my legs are getting a good stretch and remaining strong.
Let's refocus. This post isn't about what I eat or how I train. This post is about what I've learned about myself these past few months and how I have been challenged with this idea of trying to be healthier and not the best.
For a long time now, I feel like I have been trying to be the best. Like I said before, I am a perfectionist. I've been trying to be perfect with my clean eating while doing Max:30 but truth is, I have slipped a few times (holiday season didn't help). After this happens, I beat myself up and feel guilty about it. I can deal with having a treat every now and then but what I cannot deal with anymore is feeling guilty about enjoying life and being human! This is why I loved the message at my church this past week. It made me realize the attitude I need to develop about my future "mess ups" and how I can strive to live a life of health and balance instead of a life trying to be the "best".
Being a perfectionist can sometimes be a good thing if it makes you work hard and gives you drive to reach a goal; but being a perfectionist can also make you very critical of yourself. If you are constantly trying to be perfect or the best, you will eventually burn out and feel like you failed after one thing goes wrong. Take it from me, trying to be perfect is exhausting and not fun. Don't try to have the perfect life, the perfect relationship, the perfect career, the perfect body, or the perfect whatever! Instead, focus on living a life of balance and work on becoming a healthier version of yourself.
"Life is about balance. Be kind, but don't let people abuse you. Trust, but don't be deceived. Be content, but never stop improving yourself."
