We all want to be the best at what we do – especially us perfectionists. We work hard, learn from our mistakes and always strive to do better, be better, never stop working. But what defines being the best? All too often it is others on social media – their highlight reels making me feel like I’m not doing enough or working long enough hours. Where did this notion come from? When did it stop being about loving the stories an image tells versus trying to stage a perfectly curated life? I love the messy in between, un-photographable moments life brings. And this weekend was full of them.
There was nothing styled or pretty about my weekend. In fact, my camera didn’t leave the shelf once. My phone remained untouched and my hair stayed in a messy bun. This was my behind the scenes. And as I sit down to post about what happens in our lives here at Edmiston Photography there was nothing pretty, interesting, or witty to say – mostly because we were both sick and couch bound but also because that is they way life is most of the time, the messy moments no one sees. The late night editing over unhealthy snacks and the inevitable bill paying and dish washing.
And so instead of another post of highlights I want to encourage you today to stop styling and curating your life. Be better than you were yesterday and don’t compare your story to someone else’s. Don’t let their highlight reel shame yours. Fight to improve but not because you want to be better than someone else. Celebrate your success and how far you’ve come this year. 2016 is half over, celebrate the changes you’ve made and the struggles you’ve overcome. Who I was last year is vastly different than who I am now. And so I want to appreciate that instead of just moving on to the next thing to “show off” on social media.
I read this quote this weekend from Food 52 that really stood out to me, “Judging by the superlative-heavy headlines—many of which I use myself, all the time—we don’t want good enough. We want what’s best. And that feeling of constant striving, reaching, pushing, searching, stretching, never settling is exhausting and exhaustive: We don’t want good pasta in New York—we want the best pasta in New York; we don’t want a good deal—we want the best deal. If it’s not the best, we don’t want it at all.” The author goes on to say, “I’m not surrendering to mediocrity, but making a note to myself to reprioritize from time to time.”
Never settling is exhausting. The constant striving wears me out sometimes. So today, through a fog of medicine, I am reprioritizing. I’m just here saying I’m not the best but for today, I’m good enough. I hope someone out there needs to hear this too. This post will probably not impact many but for those who stopped by know that you can take a deep breath and relax – you don’t have to be the best all the time because who you are today, right now, is good enough.
.jpg)
