As a psychologist, I totally subscribe to the idea that what we tell ourselves will invariably be what we experience – we create our own truth. I also do a reasonable job of identifying my own negative self-beliefs and self-talk. But I sure as hell haven’t had much success in trying to change them! Cliff Harvey, enter stage right!
A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to have a session with mind-body guru Cliff Harvey. We spent a lot of time exploring and challenging some of my self-beliefs. One of the key things to come out of my time with Cliff was the concept of self-worth. I found myself struggling to truly embrace statements like “I am worthy of the best that life has to offer”, “I love myself completely”, and “I do my best, and my best is good enough”.
That last one is interesting. “I do my best, and my best is good enough”. Now, I’m quite happy with the idea that I do my best. It’s the second part of the statement that I find more challenging. I so often chastise myself, and my efforts, for not being ‘good enough’, for not meeting the lofty expectations that I place on myself. But after working on it with Cliff, I came away feeling great; happy in the knowledge that I did indeed do my best, and that my best was good enough.
Little did I know the hardest part was yet to come…several times over!
My newfound satisfaction with myself was tested that very night at CrossFit. I found that day’s press workout really tough, and despite pushing myself hard, I came away feeling like I should (not necessarily could) have done better. But I talked myself around, and accepted my performance.
And then I did the first two sectionals workouts. Both times, I managed to exceed my goals, and was feeling pretty good about my efforts…until I saw what everyone else got, and then I started feeling like my score wasn’t good enough. Back to the drawing board.
And then the third sectionals workout was announced…a clean and jerk AMRAP, 10kg heavier than my personal best. Now I was really being tested. It was a pretty hard physical battle for me, but more than that, it was a huge mental battle. The pressure I put on myself to get that lift nearly broke me. I got it (well, the squat clean part of it), but at what expense? I dreaded CrossFit for the days leading up to it, and the days following it, and I still didn’t feel like my best was good enough.
And then, just to top it all off, the fourth sectionals workout was announced, and once again, the lift was heavier than I’d done before. I was well and truly on the downward slope now. Except that before I got to the bottom, I came to a realisation. The pressure I was putting on myself was ruining something that I loved. It was taking the fun out of CrossFit.
So I decided to put it back in. I would do my best, and my best would be good enough. I would enjoy the challenge, I would enjoy the process, but I would not beat myself up for not being good enough.
Things are pretty busy right now and I’m finding it hard to make the time to post. I’ve been feeling guilty about that. But I’m going to stop feeling guilty. Instead, I will do my best, and know that my best is, in fact, good enough.
Crumbed chicken strips
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Egg (beaten lightly with a fork)
Almond meal (seasoned with salt & pepper)
Coconut oil
Assorted vegetables to roast
Pesto (I used bought pesto – Genoese brand - in this instance, because I was short on time!)
Slice chicken breasts in half horizontally, and then cut these pieces into strips.
Dip each strip into the egg, then into the almond meal, and coat well.
Fry the chicken strips in coconut oil, until golden. Serve with roast vegetables, and topped with pesto.
Instead of roast vegetables, I have also served this on grilled eggplant slices, with asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and homemade coriander, mint and cashew pesto. The chicken’s pretty good cold as well.
