5 Ways to Work Toward Becoming Your Best Self

Disclaimer: So, it's been a while. I haven't been home lately so it was a little difficult to be productive but that just gave me more time to seek inspiration. I've been itching to get back to this. 

I've mentioned before that I tend to have periods in which I feel like I am not being my best self. I think it happens to all of us every once in a while. Sometimes, it stems from stress, disappointment, or simply, the strong will to do better. While feeling this way is something I believe is quite normal, it does have the potential to have a negative effect on our self-confidence and overall sense of happiness with who we are. Rather than allowing that to happen, we should use this feeling as an opportunity to work in our favor by identifying why it is that we feel this way and what we can do to change it. Use it as a driving force for positive change.

1.   Reflect: I say this all the time, but I really do believe in the power of reflection done correctly. It can take a while to remove overthinking and negative thoughts from your reflecting methods but it's worth a try. A period of reflection allows you to identify why you feel like you are not your best self in the first place. Are you being too hard on yourself or is there something really holding you back?
2. Pray/ Talk to someone: Simply talking to someone you trust about how you feel is a stress reliever. You can get a second opinion or simply leave everything that bother you in the hands of the Big Guy. 
3. Stop doubting yourself: You might feel like you aren't being your best self, but that may not necessarily be the case. Take some time to appreciate the great qualities that you bring to the table. Do you make people laugh? Are you an amazing artist with a gift? Whatever your gifts are, no matter how big or small, they are important and appreciated/needed by someone in your life. Remember that. 
4. Stop comparing yourself to others: If you do this, you are setting yourself up for failure. You are only you. What someone else is doing is honestly not much of your concern. Be grateful for where you are in life right now and for the growth and success that is to come. Also, always remember that not everything that glitters is gold. The person you tend to compare yourself to may have gone through hell and back to be where you see them today. Or, maybe they aren't even as great as you've made them out to be. Even if they really are super amazing, use it as an opportunity to learn what they did to become so great and try to apply some of those techniques to your life. 
5. Remember that everything has its time and place: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 always reminds me that there is a time for everything. Who, in your mind, is your best self? Sometimes, it is best to realize that there are some things that we just can't be at this time in our lives. Some of the things we want to accomplish take time and dedication and that is completely alright. For instance, if you believe that your best self is a millionaire, that's probably not going to happen for another few years. You should strive to be the best self that you can be in this moment of your life. For example, trying to become more dedicated to your schoolwork/career is a way to become better right now and it is also a step that could take you that much closer to becoming the millionaire you want to be. 

Be sure to be on the look out for part 2 of this list which will be coming out soon. Also, subscribe, share, and comment to join the conversation! Thanks, you guys.