Own Your Everyday

Own Your Everyday shows you how to let go of comparison, stress, and distractions so you can find your purpose and live a more fulfilling life by sharing inspiring lessons from the experiences of author Jordan Lee Dooley.

Have you ever felt embarrassed by a huge zit on your forehead? Maybe this was a common occurrence for you as a teenager. The author had acne too, even into adulthood.

Her outbreaks were embarrassing and presented a problem when she needed to get on camera for her job. It was so bad that she tried to cover these imperfections with makeup. Slowly, it got worse, eventually resulting in painful breakouts deep in her skin.

Although it was tough to get over the embarrassment enough to go to a doctor, Dooley eventually made it only to find the truth about her acne. Unexpectedly, she also got an even more profound truth about life.

The doctor told her that smothering the acne with makeup was just making things worse. The true root of the problem wasn’t something she could just hide like that.

Dooley quickly realized that her acne is like our imperfections. Her covering it with makeup is like when we try to hide our flaws. And just like with acne, your habit of doing this only makes your insecurities about yourself worse and keeps you from reaching your full potential.

The real you has weaknesses, and that’s okay. Only by discovering who you really are, imperfections and all, can you truly find your purpose.

Start by taking a 30-day challenge during which you don’t criticize yourself. As a standard, avoid saying things about yourself that you wouldn’t say to a friend.

How often do you scroll through social media only to feel depressed afterward? Everyone you see is doing amazing things and you’re left wondering why you aren’t doing the same. You feel anxious wondering how your life could be better if you’d just work a little harder. This is known as comparison-induced pressure, and it’s something you need to get rid of. The angst and insecurity that you experience while checking what everyone else is posting on social media isn’t good for you. But it’s hard not to get sucked in. The author knows about this, especially when she visits the gym. While on the treadmill, she’s often comparing her speed to that of those around her. But just like running on a treadmill gets you nowhere, so does this habit. Instead, you need to beat the comparison-induced stress by recentering yourself on your purpose. Ask yourself why you’re going to the gym in the first place. Is it to “race” the people around you? Of course not, you’re there…