Embracing Our Many Selves: There's No "Best" Version of You

In a world obsessed with perfection, it's easy to fall into the trap of believing that we must always strive to be the "best" version of ourselves. But what if this pursuit is not only unrealistic, but also unnecessary?

The truth is, there is no single "best" version of you. We are all multifaceted, ever-evolving beings. Each version of ourselves, in every moment, deserves compassion and grace. You don’t need to become a paragon of mental and physical health to be worthy of self-respect and good things.

You don't have to achieve some mythical state of non-struggle to be proud of who you are. You don't have to be the "best" at anything. You are allowed to have moments of weakness, to mess up, to backtrack, and to revert to old patterns that once helped you survive. You are allowed to grieve, to be heartbroken, and to struggle. These experiences do not mean you aren't "doing the work" or that you're failing. They mean you are human.

"Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we're all in this together." – Brené Brown

Perhaps your "best" self is simply you, in each moment, doing the best you can with what you know and what you have. Maybe it's about allowing yourself to be where you are without shaming or pressuring yourself to be somewhere else. It's about trusting that today is just one day in the grand tapestry, like a giant life quilt, of your life and that it doesn’t dictate your forever.

"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it." – Maya Angelou

The real work is honoring all versions of yourself: past, present, and future. It's about respecting your capacities and emotions, no matter what they look like. We are always in flux, and there will never be a point where life becomes magically easy and we stop struggling - especially in the wild times we're living in. This is completely normal and okay.

"I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying." – Michael Jordan?

Strength isn't always about making changes right away. Sometimes, it looks like self-awareness, feeling your emotions after a lifetime of suppressing them, or trying to use your skills even if you don’t always succeed "perfectly." Strength can be about learning from mistakes and continuing to show up and try, even when quitting feels like the easier option.

Your struggles are not weaknesses. They can be hidden strengths, gateways to compassion, and avenues for meaningful connection. These parts of you that you might feel ashamed of can help you see things others miss and tend to pain in others that might otherwise go unnoticed. Your humanness helps others feel less ashamed of and better able to honor their own.

"I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship." – Louisa May Alcott

Today, who you are deserves compassion, celebration, gentleness, and good things. Because compassion and self-kindness can coexist with accountability and growth. Rest can coexist with struggle. And you are allowed to be an actual, imperfect human. The human who's becoming better however you define it from the most loving place for yourself and others.