It’s easy to get lost in the struggles of life and focus on what you haven’t achieved, instead of what you have, or the progress you have made. Because social media has us thinking that there’s so much more to do, that we need to work more, achieve more, look prettier, have more friends, more money, and the list never ends. We forget that we’re human beings, not human doings.
The grind culture and those who wear their overbooked schedules as a badge of honor, made us feel constantly overwhelmed by the things we haven’t yet achieved. We look at the whole staircase, forgetting that you need to take it step by step to reach the top. We lose sight of our progress because we’re too focused on the bigger picture. So, it’s time for you to appreciate and acknowledge how far you’ve come.
Here are 14 definite signs you’re doing much better than you think you are:
1. You take on the opportunities you get
One of the most eye-opening things I have ever read is that there’s no such thing as luck: no one is born ‘lucky’. Luck happens when you are consistent with what you’re doing, and when you seek new opportunities – believing that your luck might strike in one of them. But, if you’re sitting back waiting for things to happen for you, it’s never going to happen.
So, taking on opportunities even if you can’t see the end road clearly is a sign that you’re doing great. That’s because if you keep going… going with the flow of life and giving your best in what you do, you’ll get lucky.
2. You feel in alignment with yourself
Being completely in alignment with yourself is a long journey that doesn’t happen in a short period of time. You meet new people and notice that their energies are not in alignment with yours. You don’t keep trying to fit in, you simply wait till you find your people.
You start a new job, give it enough time, and something doesn’t feel right. Instead of forcing yourself to like your job, you keep it while looking for another one. That’s what being in alignment with your truest self means: it means that you know what you want and what you don’t, bit by bit. It’s learning to listen to your gut instincts, and actually believe them, without trying to mold yourself to fit into a life that isn’t true to you.
3. You feel happy helping others
You help others without expecting anything in return. Only pure intentions, and lifting those around you with you. Even if they’re on the same boat as yours, you don’t mind giving someone a lift because you know that what’s yours will find you. So, why not help others along? In fact, research has proven that in helping others, you help yourself because of the psychological benefits you get.
4. You are persistent
You are persistent with what you want, and keep trying even if the road is blurry. One of the tough decisions we all face is: should I keep trying or is this road a dead end? Only to know that when you try hard and wait long enough, things eventually work themselves out. The moment you stop trying you decide to give it up, not it being a dead end.
5. You face your fears
Facing your fears isn’t just petting a dog when you’re crazy afraid of them. There are so many ways to face your fears, and fears look different to each one of us. For some, it might be overcoming the fear of working with people every day because of social anxiety.
It could be wearing that cute gym fit you’ve been wanting to wear, but are afraid someone would judge you. It can be standing up for yourself when your boss mistreats you. It can be ending that relationship that’s been hurting you for so long and embracing the time you’ll spend with yourself. Whatever it is – or simple it might seem to others – facing your fears is a sign you’re doing better than you think.
6. You’re slowly letting go of what you can’t control
Throughout your life, there will always be external stressors. You’ll never live a hundred percent your way, not in a hundred years, not if you make a fortune. That’s we don’t live in this world alone. And while there are ways to have more freedom in your life, there are things that are beyond your control.
As a control freak myself, I have learned this the hard way. The only things you have control over are your mindset and your reactions to what’s happening around you – everything else is a product of hard work and luck. Once you realize this, you become much more relaxed and can go with the flow of life without having to control everything around you.
7. You allow yourself to feel all kinds of emotions
The ‘positive mindset’ trend is getting more popular than ever, and people are taking it the wrong way which puts a lot of pressure on us when we feel ‘negative’ emotions. If you’ve been dealing with your emotions like bypassers – that they won’t stick with you, they’ll come and go – you’re doing better than you think.
If you have been allowing yourself to feel sad, angry, happy, excited, and whatever you feel like feeling, it’s a good sign. Emotions are just emotions, they don’t define who we are. Being angry for some time doesn’t make you ‘an angry person’, it’s just an emotion you felt, lived with it for some time, and then let it go.
8. You’re more focused on your health
I know it’s a no-brainer that we need to focus on our health, but really: how much do you really care for your health? Do you make decisions based on how it will affect your health or other factors? Your body is the only one you’ll have for the rest of your life, so make sure that you take care of it and incorporate healthy habits into your daily routine.
9. You deliberately step out of your comfort zone
As cliche as it may sound, growth doesn’t happen in our comfort zones. When we step out of our comfort zones, that’s when all the magic happens. A sign is that you don’t run away from challenges, you face them and understand that they’ll make you grow and see things from a different perspective. The more challenges you happily face, the more chances you’ll get for growth and opportunities.
10. You’re not the same person you were a year ago
You’re constantly working on improving yourself in every aspect of your life. Whether it’s related to your health, finances, family, relationships, mindset, spirituality, etc… whatever it is, remember who you were a year ago, and compare this person to who you are today.
11. You understand that life isn’t linear
You truly believe that life isn’t linear, it’s full of ups and downs. You don’t let the downs bring you down – you understand that it’s a phase that will pass, and that eventually, you’ll go through ups again. Sadness isn’t forever, and so is happiness. Each of them makes us appreciate the other. So, you free yourself from the constant fear of bad phases because you believe that they’re not forever.
12. You’re taking up space in your life
You’re not playing it small or shrinking yourself to please others. Many of us have been given the advice that we need to stay small… play it safe. But, taking up space in your life is you boldly validating your identity and saying to others that your needs matter and that your voice is valid.
13. You don’t repeat the same mistakes
Mistakes are there to teach us lessons, and without them, there are no opportunities for growth. As bad as some consequences might be, those mistakes mean that you’re doing something and that you’re learning. The key is not to let those mistakes bring you down and to learn from them. The more you embrace them, understand the lesson, and implement it in your life, the more successful you’ll be.
14. You understand that life happens for you, not to you
I know that might seem confusing, but life is happening in your favor, not against it. What you see as bad experiences or bad luck serves a purpose in your path.
That job you got rejected in, gave you the opportunity to look for others that might be even better. The hard relationship you had made you realize what you won’t tolerate in your next one. Whatever it is, if you know that it’s guiding you to the right path, then you’re doing better than you think.