The other day, I filmed a video of myself jumping from downward-facing dog to handstand.

It took me four tries to successfully make the jump and stick it. On the fifth time, I went too far and cartwheeled out of it. That was my very best that day.

Some days, my very best is jumping and sticking the stand on the first try; other days, my very best is trying 10 times and not sticking it at all. My best looks different every day, but as long as I resolve to do my best—and remind myself I did—I can find contentment at the end of the task, the chore, the day…and go to sleep in peace, knowing that I did all I could.

We all have an insane amount of responsibilities: jobs to perform, chores to do, tasks to complete, relationships to nurture. In today’s society especially, we have so many social and self-imposed demands placed on ourselves. It can be truly overwhelming.

Since we feel that there is so much demanded of us, we often fall into a trap of self-analysis and criticism, obsessing over whether or not we are meeting our demands—and wondering what more we could do or how we could be even better.

Even if we have given something our very best effort, we may see it as insufficient. We often find ourselves unable to accept where we are or move forward from that point. There are these little voices in our heads, which say: “You should have gotten more work done today. You should’ve worked out harder. You should’ve done more cleaning. You should’ve eaten better.” And, so forth…it’s maddening.

F*ck these crazy voices we created in our heads that tell us we are not good enough! Seriously, this is not serving us.

Of course, we all do have room for growth. There is, however, a big difference between recognizing where we can grow and tearing ourselves down or telling ourselves we are not enough.

There is much to be said for finding peace with where we are right here—in the now—today. There is much joy to be found in the releasing of attachment and expectations and simply finding contentment, beauty, and peace in the space that we are in now.

And so, I challenge us all to practice something: let’s go into each day (and each task within the day) with the intention of giving our very best.

Once we have given our very best, let’s accept where our best got us, and then let it go. Let it rest, let it breathe, and move on with a sense of peace, knowing that we did what we could.

Our best will change from day to day, depending on an abundant number of factors and influences. Sometimes, our best will exceed our expectations—while other days, our best will fall woefully short. So, drop the expectations, and work with what your best is in the present moment.

Our very best—right here, right now—is all we can do. If we can recognize that, we may find peace within—and before we know it, we are lighter beings whose best is always enough and maybe even wonderful.

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Relephant:

5 Truths to Remember when you Feel like you are Not Enough.

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Relephant video: “5 Mindful Things to Do Each Morning.”

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Author: Johnny Newnes
Image: Unsplash/Derek Thomson
Editor: Yoli Ramazzina
Copy editor: Callie Rushton