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Hey there, friend.

My heart goes out to you.

First of all, I want you to know that the way you’re feeling right now is not the way you will feel forever.

I also want you to know that there are many, many people out there in the world who feel just as scared as you do, who are struggling with fear and anxiety every single day of their life.

There is an epidemic of sorts going on right now. People don’t feel like they are good enough anymore. The world is far too hard on each and every one of us, telling us that we must do certain things and live in a certain way in order to be considered worthy and good.

This robs us of our uniqueness, molding us into alternative and untrue versions of ourselves. It also causes us to become very critical of ourselves. We feel as though we must be perfect at all times, that we must all at once be beautiful, successful, flawless, and happy… or else somehow we’ve failed.

Perfection— which doesn’t exist, by the way— is an impossible thing to achieve. Trying to create it is a surefire way of feeling inadequate and unworthy. Because the world has told us we must be perfect, we no longer know how to believe in ourselves.

But it goes even deeper than that. I’ve been noticing a trend lately.

More and more people are struggling with fear and anxiety on a daily basis, and not just regarding the typical stressors of life (losing a job, worrying about family, dealing with loss, and so on).

Many of us are terrified of simply having a conversation with someone on the street. Saying hello to a neighbor. Having coffee with a friend in a cafe. Going about your day and allowing yourself to exist.

We have forgotten how to have the confidence to walk outside the house and fully enjoy the vibrancy of life; that beautiful inner spark that makes everything feel so good.

In this moment, I want you to ask yourself a question.

When was the last time you fearlessly lived your life?

When was the last time you weren’t afraid of failing or looking silly? When was the last time you allowed yourself to embrace your own unique excellence?

There was a time when you trusted yourself to make mistakes because you knew you would learn from them, and you understood that your inner spark could never be diminished from such mistakes. In fact, you felt more than unafraid. You were leaning into the excellence that is you: joyful, optimistic, fearless, creative, peaceful, at ease. You allowed this sense of peace to fill every cell of you, and in that moment you let all your worries and fears fall to the wayside.

You must learn to let this sense of peace take over more often. This is the way you were meant to live your life.

From this day forward, I want you to be reminded of your inner worth and goodness on a daily basis.

Instead of reaching for the impossibility of perfection, I want you to recognize the excellence that already exists within you.

This is your truth:

1. I am worthy and good, just the way I am right now.

2. I don’t have to do anything to prove my worth.

3. I possess my own unique gifts, and so does everyone else.

4. I know perfection does not exist. I accept myself as I am right now.

5. I know the fear and anxiety I feel is temporary. I don’t judge myself for feeling this way sometimes.

6. I believe in my abilities. I have confidence in the way I do things.

7. I am deserving of love. The more I love myself, the better my life becomes.

No, you weren’t meant to feel rushed and stressed all the time, like you’re always playing a game of catch up. You weren’t meant to feel unworthy and unloved, as if you need to achieve certain levels of prestige in order to finally feel accepted.

The expectations the world has placed upon you are both unfair and unnecessary. There is no need to impress, explain, defend, or prove. The only thing you ever have to do is be yourself. You are unique and purposeful, and you were placed here on this earth to enjoy, to love, to help, and to experience. To truly be you.

You deserve to be free, to live life fearlessly, and to reject the expectations this world asks of you.

As John Steinbeck once wrote, “And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good.”

With gratitude,

📚 #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
🎧 Host of the On Purpose Podcast
🙏 Former Monk

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On Purpose with Jay Shetty

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