Be humble; be kind.

Look! I know things can be hard. Especially when you are the one judging yourself. Do your best and take a pass on the test – that is, the test you apply to yourself. If you really are trying to bring your best to what you do, then why are you so hard on yourself for your results? (If you aren’t trying to bring your best to what you do, then just skip the rest of this letter.)

No one is right all the time. Or best. Or fastest, or smartest or prettiest. No one stays young. No. One. Is. Normal. Do you get that?

Are you trying your best as often as you can? Great! Keep doing that. Can you still run a mile? Beat everyone at trivia games? Fit into clothes from 10 years ago? 20? More? If the answer is yes, great. If the answer is no, great! Just bring your best self to your day, every day. And be humble. Do that. Be human. That is what you are – so do that. Don’t set expectations based on an old paradigm – yours, or worse, someone else’s (like your parents, or an ex or an old boss).

Rather than being proud of your accomplishments, past or present, be humble. When our accomplishments come as a matter of comparison to others, we surely risk being taken down a peg or two. Instead, look within. Look honestly. Be grateful for simply being here. Be grateful for what you've learned along the way, and the changes you have made. Be cognizant of the struggles you have overcome. Just be here. Pause. Breathe. Be. Here. Now.

Be humble about your struggle. We all are struggling. Be kind to yourself. We all need that.

And laugh a little at yourself. (Here’s a fun link that had me laughing at myself today. It reminded me in a deeply visceral way not to be so cocksure about my abilities.)

Be humble about yourself. Be kind to yourself. Don’t make this exercise about others today – for now, just think of yourself. And be humble, and kind – to you.

Peace and love to you in the week ahead.