Not enough credit

I was wondering if others experience not giving yourself enough credit for your progress you have made. I am most certainly 50% better than I was 6 years ago. However, with pain progress, it is so hard to measure. And, each day, although a struggle, I don't give myself credit for where I am today.

I am proud of myself and efforts, but I feel like I should be 100% well by now with all that I strive for.

any thoughts?

 

That's a tough question. My thinking on this has changed somewhat, since the beginning of my journey.

I no longer monitor pain, or even look at any incremental successes.

I found that when I reached a certain level, I ended up putting more demands on myself to feel better and achieve more, sooner. The perfectionists in me taking control.

Just as I would be overwhelmed with the success of reaching an outcome, I'd also feel more overwhelmed by not succeeding. So my stance now, is no longer buy into the inner critic, but just let these thoughts pass in awareness and recognise that healing takes time.

Best regards and all the best on your journey.

 

@mncjl123 I agree with Mike about the perfectionism. It's a key factor in explaining why many of us have pain in the first place & it's this very perfectionism that prevents complete healing or perceived healing because we get stuck in needing & requiring that 100%.

Maybe u are too hard on yourself. Maybe you do need to give yourself more credit for what u have achieved.

Why don't u make a list of all the things u can do today that u couldn't 6 years ago? Having a list may help u to realise exactly how much u have achieved & that could be a measure of sorts for u to gauge just far u have come.

And do be compassionate towards yrself. If it was a friend in yr place who had come so far in their healing & done so well what would u say to him or her. Now say the same & congratulate yrself for coming so far.

Good luck

Mala

 

I must be a 1000% better than I was 5 years ago, with big improvements measured over month-to-month, even week-to-week. But the perfectionist in me will not settle for anything less than being able to go take a 10-mile run, kick back in my easy chair, and not feel any aches and pains like it was when I was 29 years old. But do we see the past through rose colored glasses? Am I forgetting crawling on my hands and knees to drink some fruit juice from the frig after a 25-mile run? Yes, probably. You just have to keep on keeping on and practice outcome independence. Hard not to have an ego, isn't it? Think the Zen masters noticed that a long, long time ago!