I am short. I am okay with this. I am often the standard to which kids find happiness when they realize they have reached or surpassed my height. I find joy seeing them happy about this. Recently, a kid at church said that she was 5’2 , and asked how tall that was, and she was told “Taller than Rachael.” I am the one you see waiting awkwardly for a tall person to come by so I can ask for help reaching something from a shelf. This is okay with me, and thanks in advance for your help. This follows me in other ways too, to which I would like to shift.
I am only recently learning to set goals for myself. I have had, and lived by the mindset that I will not be able to reach goals that I set, and should I set goals, I should aim low. Because this was so engraved in me, I lived life out of a victim mind-set. I believed that I would fail at anything that was not handed to me. Anything that I tried to accomplish on my own. This left me in a place of co dependency and re enforced that I was lacking something. Furthermore; I should take any opportunity given to me because I should be grateful to even have the opportunity. I’d like to pause here and say, yes, it is good to be grateful and humble in any opportunity given to us. However, we are all created to accomplish great things, so it is okay to dream big.
In this process of learning what is inside me, and what I am capable of, I have learned that, not only have I set low standards and goals, I have also set standards that are impossible for me to reach. Let me give you an example. I wanted feel accepted, but I did not want to let people in to know me.
I held the belief that I could make everybody happy all the time, and that would bring me the peace I was looking for.
I wanted everything to turn out perfectly, but I was not taking into consideration that people are fallible and will make mistakes. I am fallible and will make mistakes. To me , a successful situation was when everything ran smoothly and perfectly. It is freeing when you allow yourself not to be everything for everyone.
I have now learned and am practicing being okay with believing the truth that I am capable of caring for myself, and I have set goals that I have reached. The truth is I can set realistic goals and I can reach them.
- I have set a goal of getting a bachelor’s degree in psychology
- I graduated in 2013.
- I set a goal to get a master’s degree in counseling
- I will graduate in December
- I set a goal to become a Counselor
- I counsel people at a local hospice, and plan to see the process of getting a license out.
- I set a goal to create a life for myself
- I have a job and am able to pay my bills
- I have a dog , her name is Maddie I have kept her alive. I love her.
These are only a few goals I have set. But is so freeing to take a step back and see that I am capable of being a productive adult in society. Also, that we all need help from people sometimes, but we do not need them to live life for us.
So, here is my challenge:
- Take a second to reflect on the goals you have set, and reached.
- Try not to focus on weather or not the journey has been “perfect.”
- Celebrate your growth and how far you have come.
Be encouraged friends
–Rachael
Accepting The Peace 