Get Better Everyday

I recently ordered cutouts to go above my office closet doors that simply say get better everyday. I heard a speaker say he had those words in the entryway of his home, and seeing that is what I try to do every single morning, I decided to have it made for my office. While we were hanging them, my perfectionist self couldn’t get them just right. I decided not to make them perfect, isn’t that kind of the point? I’m not going for perfection, I’m going for growth each day, even if that looks messy. So, if you stepped foot into my home office, you might look at them and think they’re off. Do you want to know a secret? Some days, I’m off, so they’re staying that way, off.

I have worked hard over the past six years to improve, and I know that it has only come by taking steps every day. These single steps that have added up to years of amazing powerful positive change and growth. I see it in the greatest manner in the way that I react, or should I say no longer react, like the old Shauna would have, and did. I am no longer triggered by situations that have broken me and caused me great pain and sorrow. Or am I? Oh, who am I kidding? I still have days! I wish I could tell you that I am totally healed from some things, but the truth is, I’m not totally healed, and that’s okay. My greatest fear in trying to live and breathe growth and a positive mindset is that somebody is going to think I’m trying to portray this perfect life where I’m always positive and full of joy and life isn’t still affecting me. I can tell you 100% that I have been hurt, and even recently, but I still have my joy and I’m not living in that hurt for very long. I pull up my britches and get going, no time to lay in the trenches upset, and besides, who likes to wallow in mud anyway? Well, unless you’re participating in a mud race and doing it on purpose.

I want someone to know today that you can have joy, and even though you have healed from hard things in life, you will still have times when you’re sad, your feelings are hurt and it still affects you. Just because you find joy doesn’t mean you aren’t human with feelings! You don’t always have to be strong, and if you tell yourself you do, you will be disappointed. It’s okay to still hurt sometimes, it doesn’t mean you regressed! Just don’t live there very long! I have found myself numerous times feeling hurt about something but feeling like I can’t show that emotion because I preach growth. That is ridiculous to feel that way. The real key to growth is allowing yourself to have those feelings but having the tools to pull yourself out and not letting those feelings wreck your day or worse relationships. Joy is a state of mind and you can still have joy and sadness or sorrow or hurt. You are not going to live on a high 24/7. That’s now what having joy is all about.

Why do I want you to hear this message? I want you to know that you are not going to wake up every day full of joy. You are not going to be immune to life getting to you sometimes. You are not going to be immune to hurt and pain. We will always have that, we live in this world, and it’s not always good. What I want you to hear me say today is just get up every single day and be determined to get better, but show yourself some grace in the meantime. In this journey, you will have days where you move ahead ten steps, but then the next day, you may go backward two. That’s why this is a journey, not a sprint. With each movement forward, you will learn something about yourself. With each movement backward, you will learn something about yourself. My message is simply this…Get.Better.Everyday!

With love for you all, Shauna