The Best Version of Ourselves
Yesterday's talk was a ton of fun! I thoroughly enjoyed my time with that organization, and I pray I made an impact on some of the people in attendance. During the post-talk Q&A, a woman asked me a profoundly deep question. "You mentioned in your talk that you fear regret. What else are you scared of? What keeps you up at night?"
That question surprised me, but I loved it! I told her (and the group) that one of my other fears, and something that occasionally keeps me up at night, is the fear of not being good enough. The fear of letting people down. The fear of not making the impact I'm called to make. It sounds an awful lot like yesterday's post. The deep anxiety I feel before public speaking can be directly tied back to my desire to do a great job. It's never that I lack confidence or feel unprepared, but a nervousness about whether I'll maximize my opportunity to make an impact.
Since yesterday's talk was virtual, I jumped into the group call about 10 minutes ahead of my scheduled slot. The group was finishing up another session. I didn't arrive soon enough to get the full context (nor could I share it here even if I had), but one gentleman said something profoundly important: "We need to be the best version of ourselves."
It's so dang easy (and unfair) to compare ourselves to the people ahead of us. I could easily (and unfairly) compare myself to the greatest entrepreneurs of our generation. I could easily (and unfairly) compare Northern Vessel to the top 10 coffee shops in the world. I could easily (and unfairly) compare my income with xyz ultra-wealthy friends. Those are easy comparisons to make, but to what end?
Notice how we rarely compare ourselves to people at or below our level, with less experience, or in a context that's relevant to our journey? Instead, we pick the highest possible comparison point......then feel like crap. It's the equivalent of a high school girl comparing herself to whichever TikTok influencer is hot right now. It's easy to do.....and oh so unfair.
Instead, the mission is clear. We simply need to be the best version of ourselves. Or, as we say at Northern Vessel, one percent better every day. I used to want to be this author or that podcaster, but as time has passed, I realized I just want to be the best version of me possible.
I'll take this entire idea one step further, and I'll die on this hill. We'll all be far more successful endeavoring to be the best version of ourselves than we'll ever be by trying to become someone else. The world doesn't need another that person. Instead, it needs the best version of you, the best version of me, and the best version of everyone else. I feel encouraged by that today, and I hope you do, too!
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