Only compare your efforts today with your efforts yesterday.

Not the efforts of other people.

We tend to place more importance on how and what others are doing.

We come up with stories about why they are doing well and we’re not.

We forget that we are all starting from different points, even if we are headed in the same general direction of wanting more for ourselves and our loved ones.

Some of us are starting at the starting point.

Some of us may be ahead, because of certain advantages and privileges.

Some of us are a few steps behind, perhaps because we’ve been through a traumatic experience that has scarred our soul deeply and contaminated our relationships, our self-belief and our feelings of worthiness.

This is why it’s so important to love and champion yourself through every bit of this process and journey, particularly if you’re coming from behind the starting line.

It takes way more resilience, courage, persistence and faith to get to the starting line, but once you do, guess what?

YOU’RE IN THE GAME.

Look at how far you’ve already come and how much you’ve grown, and celebrate THAT.

Look at how you’ve done all the things you had to do, including things you didn’t think you could do, despite fatigue, illness, lack of resources, lack of support, lack of clarity, and celebrate THAT.

Look at the love in your children’s eyes when you’re together, the laughter and conversations during dinnertime around the table, the corner of the kitchen you managed to declutter, the dead bush you removed from the front yard, and celebrate THAT.

I’m cheering for you.