Fall down 7, trying to stand up for number 8

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Day in, day out I am bombarded like everyone else by images of people living apparently perfect lives. They suffer no bereavements, breakups, losses or failures. They look perfect, make perfect choices, and act perfect.
Everyone seems to love them as they sail from success to success, with zero misfortunes, mistakes, or regrets.  So, it's easy to believe that I, too, need to be perfect.
I had a simple definition of success when I was younger. It was whatever made others accept me.  So, I aimed high, defined in terms of title and salary.  It became almost a game. 
My life away from work and golf told a different story.  I changed my job late last year as I felt like I was walking a tightrope of stress and irritability.  
I have gone from measuring success in financial terms to a wider definition of success, the biggest changes occurred in my inner life.  Stress and irritability used to really bother me but no longer are they part of my life at work. 
As I look online or in magazines all I see is apparently perfect people living perfect lives.  I have come to understand that there’s something beyond happiness, something more substantial than a passing emotion and I found that in doing what I consider to be important and good, this involves recognizing what really matters to me. It involves gladly losing what is less important.

I believe I now live in better alignment with what I value, deep in my heart.  Sometimes it brings stress, especially when I have to speak out for what I believe is right even when that’s against the tide or when I have to keep going when I would prefer to give up or when I have to give up when I would actually prefer to keep going.  I still suffer with fear sometimes especially when I have to try something that I am not entirely happy with but I just let it be instead of battling with my feelings.

I truly believe that it is never too late, or too early, to start living better.



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