Carl Setzer

It's so easy to succumb to this desire: be something , something important, impactful, powerful.  Chasing after an ideal "should be", losing sight of who you are; cruel phantoms. So easily we get pulled into career/family/cultural expectations, that when we lose sight of ourselves, we don't easily see the path back. That's assuming there is a path "back". I expect, for many of us, this is a path forward; new direction, new experience. Often, the path of self-discovery and self-acceptance is a journey of deep creativity; true exploration. A journey not started in youth, rather born out of regret and emptiness.

Holding yourself to a high standard and beating yourself mercilessly for not being perfect reflect two sides of a singularity. But they are not the same. One's the path towards self-destruction and one leads to a vibrant and vigorous life. Focus on self-care and maintaining realistic expectations, and the rest will naturally fall into place .