YOU’RE NOT GIVING YOURSELF ENOUGH CREDIT

I often sit with people who are carrying far more than anyone realises. They are managing work, relationships, families, health concerns, grief, disappointments and the ordinary demands of everyday life. They are trying to heal old wounds, forgive people who hurt them, make sense of their experiences and become the best version of themselves.

And yet, so many of them tell me the same thing. "I should be doing better."

The truth is, most people are far harder on themselves than they would ever be on someone they love. Life asks a lot of us.

At times, we are grieving one thing while trying to build another. We are healing from the past while creating a future. We are learning to let go while simultaneously searching for meaning. It's no wonder we sometimes feel overwhelmed.

Healing is rarely a straight path. It moves much like the ocean. Some days the water is calm and you feel like you're making progress. Other days an unexpected wave appears and knocks you sideways. Neither day defines your journey. Both are part of it. The same is true for growth.

Growth isn't always visible. Sometimes it looks like setting a boundary. Sometimes it looks like getting out of bed when everything feels hard. Sometimes it looks like asking for help, walking away from what no longer serves you, or choosing rest instead of pushing through.

These moments matter. They are evidence that you are changing, even when it doesn't feel like it. I also think we underestimate how much energy it takes simply to be human. To love. To lose. To forgive. To start again. To keep showing up when life hasn't gone according to plan. These things require courage.

So if you find yourself questioning whether you're doing enough, I want you to pause for a moment. Take a breath. Look back at everything you have navigated, survived and carried. Give yourself credit for the effort, not just the outcome.

You do not need to have all the answers. You do not need to have your life perfectly organised. You do not need to heal on anyone else's timeline.

You simply need to keep taking the next step.

If there is one thing I have learned, both personally and professionally, it is this: Most people are doing the best they can with what they know, what they have experienced and what they are carrying. Including you.

So be gentle with yourself. The journey was never about perfection. It was always about growth.

And despite what your inner critic may be telling you, you're doing better than you think.