Make better grades. Eat better. Treat people better. Be better.

It seems like we are constantly at war with ourselves trying to grow as people and trying to better who we are. Whether it's learning something new, picking up a new hobby, eating healthier or just trying to become a better versions of ourselves. It isn't always easy getting to where you want to be and it takes time. Within that time, there is plenty of room for mistakes, setbacks, and doubt.

We will make mistakes while in the process of becoming exactly who we want to be, and that is okay. It's life and we are not perfect. We beat ourselves up over a bad grade, picking up on something slower than we thought we would, a bad decision, or any setback that we face, but in reality, it's going to happen, and it's going to make us better than it would without the setbacks.

I am very hard on myself when I don't see myself improving on something I've been trying to work on, just as I know most of us are. I get discouraged and sometimes I feel like I should just stop trying, but then I have to realize that I'm not going to automatically be better at something or automatically see results. It will take time and patience, but I have made a conscious effort to try to better myself and that is a start within itself. I've been living by a saying lately that says, "You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress at the same time."

This goes for anything we do. We aren't going to always get it all right, but we are still worth it. Yes, we are works in progress and we make mistakes and we let ourselves and each other down, but that doesn't mean that we aren't masterpieces at the same time. We are trying and learning from it and that in itself beautiful.