Yesterday was one of those glorious days. The kind where you look around at the world around you and you realize that the only thing you need to do is just be.

Since becoming unemployed and trying to navigate my way through a world of mental health during COVID-19, there has definitely a lot of emphasis leaning towards “being better” than I was before.

Now that I don’t have a job, I need to be more productive with my time.

Now that I’m stuck at home, I need to start doing things I’ve been putting off.

Now that I am alone in a new place, I need to be better, healthier, stronger, fill in the blank with whatever unnecessary adjective here.

But yesterday truly reiterated a concept I’ve known about and have tried to be very intentional with:

I don’t have to be better. I only have to be.

It’s reiterated and thrown in our faces so much through social media, a laundry list of virtual gym classes, or new business ventures your friends are pursuing. I kept thinking I needed to be better.

But who told us to do this?

Good question. The answer is NO ONE.

The only one that is making us to listen to the outside forces is ourselves. I can’t remember the last time someone came up to me and said, “Lauren, you’re great, but also be better at life.” Because that doesn’t happen. It’s the deceptive nature of our world through media that says we are not complete, successful, happy unless we have or do XYZ. Therefore, capitalizing on our insecurities. #ThatsJustGross

Then there was a moment like yesterday…

I looked out across Turquoise Lake as I sat above an old mine in Leadville, Colorado. My skin just slightly toasty from the afternoon sun. My heart filled to the brim; my cup overflowing.

All I had to do in that moment was simply be.

My only job description in the middle of nowhere was to exist and allow myself to be happy in the present.

I have to say, it was a brilliant day, and I plan on having a trillion more just like it.

Remind yourself today that no one in this world is telling you that you have to be better. Because sometimes all we need to do is write ourselves a permission slip to just be. That is where you will truly thrive.