To the mom who never feels good enough

It’s a season of starting diets, joining the gym and re-evaluating practically everything in life. But this year, what if January started with these words: ‘I’m already good enough’?

I’d been dreading it for a few days.

It was January 4, and it’d been 32 days since I’d been on Facebook or Instagram. I’d decided to take a social media pause in December, and now it was time to return to the “real world.” (And by “real world,” I really mean the fake world of social media, where everyone’s life seems a little happier, a little skinnier, a little glossier, and a little more beautiful than it really is. *wink*)

I inputted my Instagram password into my phone, and automatically, my feed populated with all kinds of New Year’s magic and amazingness.

Literally, nearly every post was about someone starting Whole30, committing to a new fitness program (“and you can too!” *cue the cheesy online pitch*), or coming up with some grandiose new goals for their family, business or body.

Sure, those are all good things.

Actually, they’re great things.

But are they really feeding me Truth?

Here’s the deal. A lot of social media scrolling can amount to lots of little, tiny messages that we tell ourselves. And we don’t even notice them.

Here’s an example. The person who had just started the Whole30 diet had shared a photo of herself holding a chubby baby on her hip. This blessed woman must already be a size 2, and she was wearing a pair of tight yoga pants and a midriff-baring shirt. Her makeup was light and pink, and she looked rested and healthy.

As I scanned this image, here’s what happened in my head:

Wow, her baby is younger than mine and she is so much thinner.

She must be naturally small. Does she know how lucky she is?

That shirt looks so cute on her. I hope one day I’m able to comfortably wear a midriff-baring shirt and that my arms look so toned.

I wonder what she’s eaten today?

I look so much older than her. My eyes are more wrinkly and I’d never look that young and fresh in a photo.

To be honest, I’m not an insecure person.

But I do compare. (Clearly LOL.)

Don’t we all?

I share these inner thoughts not for your pity or compliments. But I did want to illustrate how these images affect us. And if we’re not careful, all these little lies can add up to one big message.

I’m not good enough.

And that’s a lie.

Did you hear me?

IT’S A LIE!

(Yes, I’m writing that in all caps because I’m yelling it to your beautiful face!)

YOU ARE ALREADY ENOUGH.

Just the way you woke up today.

Sure, it’s the beginning of January. But that doesn’t mean you need to change everything about your life. Or that you need a new slew of bucket list, over-the-top activities to thrill your children. Or that suddenly you need to have a perfect marriage and the perfect body and the perfect home. And all of the perfect things.

It literally just means that the date changed.

It means it’s been 365 days since the last January 1.

It means the earth revolved around the sun one more time.

It means the start of a beautiful, new, exciting and blessed year ahead.

A year that, yes, I do have some goals for. A year that will be amazing and full of gratitude and life.

Yes, I’m still taking steps to make my life the best it can be. Yes, I woke up today at 5:30am to try pilates and carve out some time for journaling and prayer. Yes, I’m still trying to eat well and drink all the water and get all the sleep.

But I’m doing all those things because I love my body and life. Not because I hate it.

And I’m doing them because I want to.

Not because the date on the calendar changed.