The Courage To Be Mediocre

We live in an era of 'optimization.' If you have a hobby, you’re supposed to monetize it. If you go to the gym, you’re supposed to track every calorie and rep. It’s exhausting. What happened to just doing things because they’re fun? The pressure to be elite at everything is killing our ability to enjoy anything. I’m here to tell you that it’s okay—actually, it’s great—to be mediocre at something you love.

Hope lives in the process, not just the result. When you allow yourself to be 'bad' at painting or 'terrible' at guitar, you are practicing self-compassion. You are saying that your value isn't tied to your output. This is a radical act of self-love in a world that only rewards perfection. It allows you to explore without the fear of failure, because failure isn't even part of the equation.

Think about a child playing with blocks. They aren't trying to build a masterpiece; they’re just seeing what happens. We need more of that energy. When you take the pressure off, you actually find more joy. And joy is the fuel for hope. It’s hard to stay hopeful when you feel like you’re constantly being graded. Drop the grade. Be a C-minus student in your hobbies and an A-plus student in your own happiness.

Give yourself permission to do something today purely for the sake of doing it. Write a bad poem. Cook a meal that tastes okay but looks like a mess. Sing off-key in the shower. These small moments of unpolished humanity are what make life worth living. You don't have to be the best to be worthy of a good life. You just have to be you, and that is more than enough.