Before and After

I seem to get into these moods where that thing I have been thinking about doing for weeks, months, or even years, has to be done NOW.

My most recent mood hit while staring at my very dated fireplace. I decided it was time. I went out and bought high heat spray paint and painted all of the metal around my fireplace insert that very afternoon. The next day I went out and bought paint for the brick and mantle while also deciding I needed to paint my bedroom door.

I began painting as soon as I got home and spent the rest of the weekend covering my place in white paint. By the end of Sunday, I had also painted my floors (perhaps a story for another time)!

I sat staring very happily at all that I had done and sent out photos to my friends and family to validate my accomplishment.

And then the question came… What did it look like before?

I hadn’t taken ‘before and after’ photos.

I’m not going to lie, I went through a myriad of emotions when I realized that I wouldn’t be able to make a beautiful Instagram post that would showcase how incredibly different, and much improved, my space had been made.

Once I got over my superficial disappointment, I was struck by the concept of ‘before and after’. The current state of something is, for better or worse, impacted by where it has come from. Has it been improved? Has it been worsened?

You could look at something seemingly unimpressive, but to know how improved it has been, be very impressed by it!

Isn’t that also so true of people and their stories? We can be so quick to judge when we have no context for how far a person has come, or what their story is. We can be even quicker to judge ourselves. We are often our own worst critics.

You are on a journey. And it’s your own personal journey, no one else’s. There will be ups and downs, detours and victories. No one truly knows your journey but you. So, here is my challenge to you;

1. Be gentle with yourself.

Life is hard! Celebrate your victories, big or small. For some, that may mean celebrating getting dressed this morning and that’s ok.

2. Stop comparing!

I promise you, all those people you are looking to who seemingly ‘have it all together’ are on their own journey too. The only thing worth comparing to is an earlier version of yourself, and even then, do it with kindness.

3. Make a list

Take a moment to reflect on 2019 and make a list of your victories. What can you be grateful for? What are some of the areas you can see growth?

These challenges may seem simple, but they certainly aren’t easy! If any of this resonates with you, I would love to support you on your journey.