Do you remember that inner voice? You know - the one that we have to put a muzzle on, and train? The one that says that "we can do better", what we did was "not good enough", and even "you're a failure". Can you tell why that voice needs to be silenced? First and foremost, because it is wrong! We gain nothing from "beating ourselves" up about things. In fact, it is a serious waste of energy that could be spent building ourselves up. By the way, remember we are only supposed to be speaking to ourselves in an exemplary manner, if you're not, put that rubber band back on your wrist (January 14th issue of Leading Edge Living).

Let's face it we are human and we're not perfect. Now that that has been said, there are going to be times when you cannot give something one-hundred percent, just sixty and that's okay as long as you're doing YOUR best. What is your best? Your best is whatever you are capable of in the moment. Will it change? Absolutely! I'll bet that you are capable of performing better when you are feeling well, are well-rested, and are fed, as opposed to sick, exhausted, and starving. See how other factors can come into play to change the level of best that we are able to provide at a given time? Does that mean that if you give 40-percent instead of 90-percent that you are a failure? Absolutely Not! So long as you give that 40- percent your best effort. This really IS all about YOU!

Claudia was in charge of the decorations for an event at her Women's Group. She was scheduled to get everything completed the afternoon before the function. With a detailed vision for the atmosphere that she wanted to create for the event, she could hardly wait to bring her ideas to life. One day before she was supposed to decorate, she came down with the flu. Her attempts to get someone to fill in for her were futile with such short notice. As she dragged herself out of bed to get ready to go to the conference room to decorate, she knew that her original ideas would have to be scaled down because there was no way that she had enough energy to get it all done. She finished the job in just over four hours, and as she looked around she sighed because she had so wanted to put the lavish decorating scheme into place, but had to give herself a huge pat on the back because despite how lousy she felt, the room looked darned good! She decided not to scrap her original ideas for the room, but to try to incorporate them into their next scheduled event.

Claudia knew that she was not capable of putting the elaborate decoration scheme together while she was sick, but she did not consider it a failure, she was proud of herself. She did the best she could and that was all she was able to do.

We need to take our cues from within. If we are true to ourselves and in touch with our feelings, we will always be in a place where we can do our best. Our best, not the best that others can do, or what others think we should do. It is very important to remember this. If we forget it we are acting from a place of "should" and that is a road better not traveled at all.