I started 2026 with a good mindset to improve myself. Yet, I encountered a few moments that caused setbacks. While they were not totally bad and I overcame them, I was still hard on myself. I did not allow myself to accept that life was not perfect. Things do happen that are sometimes out of my control. Ultimately, it is up to me to work at bouncing back from setbacks. I want to avoid going down the same path again by facing the issues head on and doing what’s right.

In life as a late High School Teacher put it, “stuff happens.” Sometimes it happens and it can be several things that is in and outside of your control. Life itself just is catching up with you. It shows you who is boss. It is going to make you do what you need to do. It is what it is, but it can also hinder progress. This happens due to the perfectionism you strive for. You want to be hard on yourself and be mad at yourself. Nonetheless, I have begun to accept that some things are what they are for a reason. I have to do what I can to move on. What is most important is that I have to pick myself up. I must continue to do what is right through the process. This has been hard to accept from the get go.

For so many years, I thought it was the end of the world whenever I had a setback. I believed it regardless of what I was going through. I felt I couldn’t repair myself and get back on track. I chose not to make my priorities my focus. Instead, I allowed the issues I was having to overtake me. I let them do their nastiness without realizing the harm I was doing to myself. Eventually, I scared myself and others in the process. Life is going to happen and setbacks are going to happen. What matters is being kind to us when they happen. We must learn to do what we need to do. It is crucial to pick ourselves up. We must get back on track, especially when past instances did not allow us to.

In the past, I allowed myself to believe that things would happen if I did what I needed to do. I thought things would be scary without seeing my actions as minimally damaging. It was better to do what was right instead of letting things spiral out of control. Otherwise, things would eventually get worse. I had to let myself understand that things do happen. It is important not to be hard on myself. I should do the right thing and make things right. I must care for myself by making me a priority, first and foremost, always.

In the past, I did not believe in my ability to make things right. I also doubted that I can do the right thing. But no more. I know that I have what it takes to make things right. I will not be hard on myself during the process because I matter. While life and “stuff” happen, it is not the end of the world. I can and will overcome the struggle I am facing. I can and deserve the best in me.