How many times do we become overwhelmed because we aren’t doing all that we think and feel we should? How many times do you feel paralyzed by your imperfections and weaknesses? Contrast that with how often you give yourself permission.

As we embark on the halfway mark of the year 2014, I feel like I’m just barely emerging from a cocoon. This year has been a year of growth and change. I gave birth to our tenth baby, Courtney Adele, April 3rd. In January, we moved to Stuttgart, Germany, lived in a hotel for three months and then set up our home and a month later, I went into labor.

I followed this up with a long recovery that I’m still in the midst of. There are times I sit and wish I had more energy or strength. Then I do too much and end up back in bed, or just recently, I fell down a flight of solid stone stairs in our apartment building and smacked my head and bruised my body. Back to bed I went. This time paying more attention to my intuition about taking things slowly.

When those thoughts come of harshness towards myself or comparison to other women, I’ve been more careful about analyzing them. Most importantly, I think about why I allowed my thoughts to flow there. Sometimes we aren’t so aware of our thought stream until we realize we don’t like the way we are feeling or where our thoughts have ended up. When I feel this barrage of negativity I stop and remember that it is always from a negative source. Heavenly Father loves us too much to harass us. We can be our own worst enemies or allow ourselves to listen to the “enemy”.

Then, I give myself permission. I give myself permission to forgive myself. I forgive my body for not being perfect. I remember my conscious choices that brought me to where I am and feel gratitude. I give myself permission to be imperfect. I reset goals and let go of those that make me feel less than or overwhelmed.

Dieter Uchtdorf said, “To me it appears that our splendid sisters sometimes undervalue their abilities—they focus on what is lacking or imperfect rather than what has been accomplished and who they really are. Perhaps you recognize this trait in someone you know really well. The good news is that this also points to an admirable quality: the innate desire to please the Lord to the best of your ability. Unfortunately, it can also lead to frustration, exhaustion, and unhappiness.”

So much unhappiness in the world is caused by ingratitude and comparison. If we all give ourselves permission to let go of what is wrong with us or our circumstances we can find it easier to discover all that is right. Give yourself permission to have a cookie, sleep a little longer, and love who you are.