Life takes effort. That thought alone used to frustrate me and hold me back. I used to feel that life was unfair because it took effort.

Nowadays with social media, we often see other people’s highlight reel. Seeing only positives in someone’s life can make you start to question your own. I used to wonder, “How come I’m not as successful or happy or creative?” 

I used to believe that other people’s lives were effortless. I have realized that is not true. 

Life takes effort. 

I got so caught up in others success stories that I stopped focusing on my story. I stopped putting effort into my life, yet I still expected things to happen for me. 

It wasn’t until I took back my power and realized how lucky I am that I get to put effort into my life. 

My perspective completely shifted. 

Life isn’t perfect. It has challenges. It is okay to feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and sad because of your experiences. Please, don’t beat yourself up because your life is not perfect. 

Personally, I used to get stuck in a loop of putting myself down for not being who I wanted to be or who I thought I should be and then feeling sad, overwhelmed, and disappointed in myself because of it. I used up all my energy betting against myself. 

Until I realized that by putting in effort into my life, my goals, my interests, etc., I was showing myself how much I loved and cared about myself. 

How did I change my perspective and reframe my mindset? 

I started being thankful. 

I literally started listing the things I was thankful for. At first it was the big and obvious things, and then I started to notice and note the small things. It slowly became a daily practice. 

I started to love and care for myself more, and with that, I started to invest in myself more. 

Gone were the days when I cringed and felt anxious about the thought of how much effort went into life. Now, I relish in putting forth the effort. 

I deserve the effort that I put into life. I am worthy of investing in myself. I am excited to put my best foot forward. 

Doing your best means having the awareness to know when you need a break and when you need to push. 

Rest when you need to. 

Remember that your best will look different on different days. Thank yourself and be grateful for all the ways you choose to show up. Sometimes your best will simply be showing up and being present. 

Give yourself props for showing up. 

Life takes effort, so be kind to yourself. Life takes effort, so do your best. Life takes effort, so enjoy the journey. Life takes effort, so show up for yourself. Life takes effort.

You are worth it.