I’m a huge fan of @crimebydesign on Instagram. Their content is consistently awesome and every so often they throw out a quote that just hits me in all the right ways. The other day, they posted this:
“Work so hard that people’s biggest flex is that they used to know you.”
It brought an instant grin to my face, my head nodding at the truth of it. I loved it. It’s rare that a random quote on social media has me so physically reacting with enthusiasm that way. But it hit me hard, in a very good way, and I think I know why.
I’ve had a rough time in lock down. Like many others, I’ve found that even the little things have become a struggle. Sensitivity has been up, I’d been drinking more, not eating right, failing in exercise and feeling my anxiety spiral way out of control. I’m finally getting myself into a healthier frame of mind lately, and I genuinely believe I saw that quote at the exact right time.
You know how it is. When you’re not feeling great, and someone says something that hits you harder than it should. When your boss or a friend makes a comment that ordinarily you’d shrug off, but in your fragile state, you take to heart and start feeling more down on yourself than you should. But the key for me has been separating what should affect me, from what shouldn’t. And slowly discovering that my strong negative internal reactions to certain comments, events, etc, were not all because of my own poor mental state.
The realisation that some things in your life are just really not okay is a big one. When you start to gain control over your own insecurities and anxieties and see that you need to make some very big changes to be happy, it’s time to take notice of what’s wrong. And then it’s time to start working on fixing things. Which is where I find myself currently.
So, from now on, that’s what I’ll be doing. Working so hard that people’s biggest flex is that they used to know me. And those very few, special people that are dear to me who support me and join me on my journey of hard work, self-improvement, and pursuit of my goals will get to enjoy the biggest flex of all. That they still know me, and get to share in my happy, stable, positive life.
Harley's Madhouse 