Don't Stunt Your Soul

You know that friend who will walk up and slap you when you need to snap out of it? I have a few. And they are dear to me. They love me in spite of my messy stuff. They put up with me when I make silly faces in pictures. They still like me when I fall short of my own expectations and fall into self-criticism.

And I do that last thing a lot. Sometimes it’s because I set unrealistic goals, like when I started a blog and challenged myself to read 100 books in 100-something days before my baby was born. I think I read ten. And then I got discouraged and criticised myself.

And before I found LuLaRoe, when I used to try on clothes in tiny department store cubbies and make sad faces at myself.

Or that other time when I said I was going to write a book by the time I turned 25. Well, I’m definitely not 25 anymore. And then I got discouraged and criticised myself.

It’s easy to find little things to be critical about. The temptation is always there, and I fall into it quickly. But then these friends, these amazing, supportive souls come along and snap me out of it. They remind me that there is danger in self-criticism. It paralyzes us and keeps up from moving forward in a positive way. It can become a focus instead of a tool for growth and happiness.

Regardless of what you’re doing, don’t let self-criticism steal your passion. Learn from it, and move on. Don’t let it stunt your soul. Make it constructive, and if it’s not, make it go away. Follow your dreams and learn along the path, and most importantly find the tribe of people who will give you a loving reminder of your awesomeness and beauty.