Work in Progress

How many times have we typed on a keyboard or written on a notebook, only to stare at an unfinished page and say, “It’s not going to work.”?

How many times have we tried painting, drawing, scrapbooking, et cetera, only to stop in the middle and say, “I’m never going to make it perfect.”?

How many times have we woken up for school or work, overwhelmed by all the pressure and stress that’s waiting for us, only to throw our hands in the air and say, “I just can’t do it anymore.”

How many times have we hated ourselves for being imperfect? How many times have we scolded ourselves for not being enough? How many times have we given up?

Our bright-eyed minds always start with good ideas, great dreams, and tantalizing visions. Whatever we begin in our lives, we always begin with all this passion and fervor, almost obsessing over the beauty of the outcome. And then all of a sudden, things don’t go so well. Suddenly the words don’t sound right, the painting doesn’t look too good, the days don’t seem to get any better. Suddenly, the blank spaces don’t seem like they deserve to be filled. Not anymore.

At that point, we leave our work unfinished, believing that it’s only going to get worse. But it’s at that point of resignation when we make the greatest mistake of all. By giving up on ourselves, we rob ourselves of the chance to be finished, to be completed. We become the paintings that would have been magnificent or the books that would have been bestsellers – would-haves and could-haves that were too afraid to have faith.

The trouble is, we’re often too hard on ourselves. We have this image of who we should be, and perpetually hate ourselves for not conforming to that image. While it’s admirable to have a vision for yourself, we often forget that a vision takes work, time, and a lot of waiting. It’s never going to come as easily as we want it to, and we often forget that that’s okay. We forget that none of us were born complete, much less perfect. It’s okay to make mistakes, it’s okay to struggle, it’s okay to be ‘not quite there yet’. That’s okay. What matters more is that you keep going, that you allow yourself that chance to be better, even if it becomes frustrating.

So, cut yourself some slack. Never forget that we are all works in progress, that there are blank spaces in our lives still waiting to be filled. Don’t pressure yourself to be whole, to be complete, to be perfect. Keep working, waiting, and making the most of what life has to give you. Believe me, it’s going to get better. Allow yourself to be incomplete, unfinished, imperfect, because that only means that life isn’t done with you yet. Allow yourself the chance to become a masterpiece.

Allow yourself to be incomplete.