"And I will hold myself to a standard of GRACE not perfection"
This mantra - Give Yourself Grace - has become my LIFE mantra....as I'm sure any of my clients could tell you. I preach it to them just as often as I preach it to myself!
In fact, it may as be on a gift you receive when you sign up for the Mindfull Makeover ;)
I posted this on Instagram yesterday:
1) To be patient and know everything happens for a reason and unfolds just as it should
2) To give myself grace
I had someone ask me, what does "Give Yourself Grace" mean exactly?
At first I was stumped and realized it was hard to put into words. For me, it's really a FEELING that I have in my heart...and it's a way I try to carry myself throughout my days.
In a way, I suppose it's different for everyone.
My interpretation of this phrase is gently allow yourself / give yourself permission to:
Be imperfect
Take time and space for yourself
Listen instead of speak
Trust
Here are some others I've read on the world wide interwebs:
From Leigh Ann on Intentional by Grace: "Give yourself grace. You don’t have to do everything. You don’t have to change everything about yourself. You don’t have to do better, try harder, sacrifice more."..."He desires mercy and not sacrifice. It’s hard. I know it is. But it’s harder to do it your own way. Surrender is easier than sacrifice. Grace is more beautiful than works."
From Vanessa of Incourage.me Blog : "What’s wrong with giving ourselves grace? The answer is nothing…as long as your heart is first open to the full grace in Christ." ... "Truly giving yourself grace isn’t about giving yourself anything. It’s about being open to His grace and fully accepting it, not just for the big hurdles, but for the tiny every day stumbles."
From Akua at 31Women: "...I could assume that it means to stop being so hard on yourself. It doesn’t do you or your God any good to dwell on your past or the mistakes that you’ve made or the imperfections that you’ve wallowed in. To move forward with God, you have to let go of clinging to all that is wrong with you and cling to all that is good with God. In other words, give yourself the grace and the freedom to let go of ruminating over the the many mistakes that you’ve made and just let God work His good in you. “Give yourself grace.” (and allow Him to be that Grace.)"
Clearly these are much more religious-based than mine, although all rooted very similar.
So this is a great phrase to ponder and live by this week. And if you feel it in your heart, share what your interpretation of "give yourself grace" means below!