Ep 257: Aimee J – You Can Do Hard Things

We tend to think that life is hard, and it is but what we fail to realize is that we’re capable of improving our lives, we have the power to pivot and deal with hard things.

In this episode, Aimee explores something that she’s always been afraid to do - speak to her listeners directly. She shares her thoughts and insights about various topics and this episode, it’s about the hard things in life and why we should be empowered to handle them.

Life is not always going to be a smooth ride, there will be bumps ahead but when you choose to look at it positively, you’re bound to enjoy and appreciate it more.

THE DANGERS OF COMPARISONITIS

We’ve all heard the term midlife crisis, society expects us to undergo a dilemma as we enter a certain age. But for Aimee, it’s better to call it “comparisonitis.” We live through the dangers of constantly comparing our lives with others, but this can be cured with time and good practice. 

Comparisonitis normally happens when we don’t feel secure with our lives or when we’re not happy with what’s going on. It’s easy to succumb to this phenomenon if we consistently engage in social media and compare other's “perfect” life with ours.

What makes this worse is being surrounded by people who are judging you of where you are in life, this pressure leads us to believe that we are failing but in reality, everyone goes through hard things, but it’s not always broadcasted on social media. We have to take realize that we can do something about it. 

WHY OUR LIVES ARE BEYOND SOCIAL MEDIA

We have to realize that we can do something about comparisonitis. This begins with the acknowledgment that what we see on social media has been perfectly curated, it’s not always a 100% accurate depiction of other’s real life.

All we see is the end result, we don’t see the struggles and work they put in to get to where they are. You also have to kick the notion that you are failing just because your life is different from others. 

You have to accept that life is full of hard things, you may think that you’re a failure because you don’t have it easy, but that’s just how life is. Moreover, you are here because you can do hard things. 

You need to have your own success scale, so you’re not measuring success through the scale of others. What other people think of as success may not be what you deem as success. Figure out what you want and what you need in life to categorize your success scale.

Life is hard, but you’re here, don’t waste your time comparing your life to others. Think about what makes you feel successful and do it.

TWEET

"You have to kick the notion that you are failing at life." #chasingdreams

"You can do hard things." #chasingdreams 

We tend to think that life is hard, and it is but what we fail to realize is that we’re capable of improving our lives, we have the power to pivot and deal with hard things.

In this episode, Aimee explores something that she’s always been afraid to do - speak to her listeners directly. She shares her thoughts and insights about various topics and this episode, it’s about the hard things in life and why we should be empowered to handle them.

Life is not always going to be a smooth ride, there will be bumps ahead but when you choose to look at it positively, you’re bound to enjoy and appreciate it more.

THE DANGERS OF COMPARISONITIS

We’ve all heard the term midlife crisis, society expects us to undergo a dilemma as we enter a certain age. But for Aimee, it’s better to call it “comparisonitis.” We live through the dangers of constantly comparing our lives with others, but this can be cured with time and good practice. 

Comparisonitis normally happens when we don’t feel secure with our lives or when we’re not happy with what’s going on. It’s easy to succumb to this phenomenon if we consistently engage in social media and compare other's “perfect” life with ours.

What makes this worse is being surrounded by people who are judging you of where you are in life, this pressure leads us to believe that we are failing but in reality, everyone goes through hard things, but it’s not always broadcasted on social media. We have to take realize that we can do something about it. 

WHY OUR LIVES ARE BEYOND SOCIAL MEDIA

We have to realize that we can do something about comparisonitis. This begins with the acknowledgment that what we see on social media has been perfectly curated, it’s not always a 100% accurate depiction of other’s real life.

All we see is the end result, we don’t see the struggles and work they put in to get to where they are. You also have to kick the notion that you are failing just because your life is different from others. 

You have to accept that life is full of hard things, you may think that you’re a failure because you don’t have it easy, but that’s just how life is. Moreover, you are here because you can do hard things. 

You need to have your own success scale, so you’re not measuring success through the scale of others. What other people think of as success may not be what you deem as success. Figure out what you want and what you need in life to categorize your success scale.

Life is hard, but you’re here, don’t waste your time comparing your life to others. Think about what makes you feel successful and do it.

TWEET

"You have to kick the notion that you are failing at life." #chasingdreams

"You can do hard things." #chasingdreams 

"Don't use someone else's scale to measure your success, you have to come up with that scale." #chasingdreams

"It is hard to be here, but you did it." #chasingdreams 

QUOTE

"Just because something is difficult or hard doesn't mean you're failing at life."

"You are here because you can do hard things."

"What other people deem success may not be what you deem success."

"Don't judge your life based on someone else's scale and criteria."

LIFE IS A JOURNEY NOT A DESTINATION

We have to keep in mind that life is a journey, it’s not a destination or a goal. Aimee has said this a couple of times, but it sure is worth repeating, “it’s all about the dream chase not the dream end goal and result.  

The ups and downs that we experience stay with us, they become core memories that eventually help us navigate life. We often look for shortcuts, but the problem with this is we miss out on the growth from working to get to our dreams. 

Just like in the butterfly analogy, butterflies have to go through the tough time of developing their wings while in the cocoon. This struggle helps them become strong and prepares them to take off. The same can be said for us humans, the difficulties we go through prepares us to course through life. 

Don’t turn away from your struggles, face them head-on. We have to accept that we are capable of doing hard things. With social media, we’re bombarded with the notion that life should be easy, but it will never be like this. 

We are designed to journey through the good and the bad of life and the best way to go about this journey is to be more accepting and learn from whatever life throws at us. 

TWEET

"It's all about the dream chase, not the dream end goal and results." #chasingdreams

"Don't turn away from the fight that you're chasing." #chasingdreams

"Focus on you, not on other people." #chasingdreams 

QUOTE

"Life is a journey, it is not a destination."

"The journey is what is important, not the end goal."

"The problem with looking for shortcuts is you're missing out on the growth that happens when you get from working to get to your dreams."

THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-CARE

You need to care for yourself and this is a commitment you should stick with every single day. Self-care is one of the most undervalued principles because we’re always busy taking care of others, we dismiss the fact we also need to be taken care of.

When you take care of yourself, you become a better version for yourself and others. You become more effective with work and personal relationships if you prioritize your wellbeing. 

Self-care also brings impact to other people, you become a great example that embodies the importance of taking care of oneself. Your children and the people around you will see the benefits of it, and they may be inspired to care for themselves as well.

If you have kids, they will mimic what they see in their parents, so you need to set a good example for them as they grow up. They’ll realize that the best way to care for others starts with taking care of oneself.

TWEET

"Self-care will change the game." #chasingdreams 

QUOTE

"Self-care is so important, you have to take time every day for it."

"If you think you don't have enough time for self-care, it's because you are not making it a priority."

"If you are not cared for, how can you care for someone else?"

"Figure out what you need to do to take care of yourself because then you will be fulfilled to help others."

Aimee’s Recommendation: ONE action for a dream chaser to take – 

Take a look at your life and realize that you have the power to pivot. Whatever it is you’re going through, keep in mind that you are capable of changing it at any point in time. In chasing your dreams, you have to stop focusing on other people’s lives, stop comparing and concentrate on what you can do to improve your life. 

OUTLINE OF THE EPISODE

[02:05] The dangers of comparisonitis[03:30] Why our lives are beyond social media[06:40] Life is a journey, not a destination[09:22] Carpe Diem[11:29] The arrogance in our 20s[13:15] The importance of self-care[17:03] All things are possible[17:55] You have the power to pivot

FAVORITE QUOTES

"Just because something is difficult or hard doesn't mean you're failing at life.""Don't judge your life based on someone else's scale and criteria.""The problem with looking for shortcuts is you're missing out on the growth that happens when you get from working to get to your dreams." "Think long-term but act short term.""If you think you don't have enough time for self-care, it's because you are not making it a priority.""Figure out what you need to do to take care of yourself because then you will be fulfilled to help others.""All things are possible even if it's not easy." "There's peace within you when you're living life the way you want to live it." 

TWEETS YOU CAN USE

"You can do hard things." #chasingdreams "It is hard to be here, but you did it." #chasingdreams"It's all about the dream chase, not the dream end goal and results." #chasingdreams "Self-care will change the game." #chasingdreams "You have to power to pivot." #chasingdreams"Life is a journey." #chasingdreams "Don't turn away from the fight that you're chasing." #chasingdreams "You have to kick the notion that you are failing at life." #chasingdreams

https://youtu.be/Xvz2Djy7L0M