Why are we always selling ourselves short?

This past weekend, my best friend Thansha and I drove out to Sarnia from Toronto to visit our really good friend Robyn! It was a much needed girls weekend for me, and I had the BEST time catching up, laughing, dancing, you name it, we did it! It was basically your ultimate sleepover and girls night out combined into one. However, the drive there and back is so long! Which gave Thansha and I plenty of time to talk, and it is through all the conversations I had over the weekend with my girlfriends, that inspired this next blog piece.

Now as many of you may know, or would assume, girls nights, or weekend getaways with the girls, always lead to lengthy conversations about men. It is through our discussions regarding the opposite sex, that really got me thinking about the standards that we set for ourselves and the people around us. This blog post can easily be turned into a “girl power” post about how we should never settle when it comes to dating etc but I will spare you all… Instead, my goal is to inspire you all to raise the bar for yourselves and those closest to you.

I think a lot of us are afraid to set high standards, or sometimes we second guess ourselves and worry, “maybe I set my standards too high? Maybe I’m being too hard on so and so?” But really, you need to keep your standards high! Why? Well, because it gives you, and the people around you something to look forward to. Every time you raise the bar, it forces you to work harder, and ultimately to be better. You, and the people that you surround yourself with should only expect the best from you. The people that you keep close to you, should only bring out the best in you. They should elevate you in some way. And one way to do that is to keep their standards high for you, because ultimately they want the best for you. It is because your loved ones want what’s best for you, they expect a lot from you (or at least they should), so that you will therefore rise to the occasion and get the things that you deserve!

In addition, if you loved yourself, you would do the same for yourself that your friends and family do for you. You would keep your standards high in all aspects of your life. You should ALWAYS EXPECT MORE, DO MORE, BE MORE, IN ORDER TO GET MORE! Every time you lower your standards, or you accept the status quo, you will always be left with disappointment and unhappiness. I’m sure many of us can relate to this, especially when it comes to romantic relationships. We set the bar low because we’re afraid that we won’t be able to meet anyone to meet our highest expectations. However, when we do that, we are always left hurt and disappointed because we don’t get what we deserve. Sometimes we get jealous and upset when we see someone who has a relationship that is truly fulfilling, but really you can have that too! You just need to always have that expectation that you deserve to be with someone who always gives you what you need. If they don’t, that doesn’t mean that you should lower your standards, but ask for that person to meet them. If they still decide to not give you the things you need to be happy, then you must leave and find someone who will.

I know I have mentioned this before, you create your own happiness. That being said, in order to remain happy, you need to always be aspiring for more. No one is really happy when they feel as if their lives are stagnant, like they’re going no where fast. It is when we feel as though our lives are constantly improving that we feel the most happy. So in order to stay happy, you must remain hungry. You need to keep reaching higher, raising your standards, and aspiring for more. I know that this is something that I need to constantly remind myself. I have high standards for myself in my professional life, and my fitness, but sometimes I need to remind myself of the things that I deserve in my personal life as well. Don’t be afraid to keep your expectations high, the people who want to be in your life will rise to the occasion to meet them.

A photo collage of this past weekend in Sarnia ❤