Being Good Enough

The internal question we all ask: "Am I good enough?'

As a public relations student, I am surrounded by incredibly talented individuals that I am lucky enough to work with and learn from. I may be partial, but my college, Gaylord College at the University of Oklahoma, has some of the most driven and accomplished students I have met. Everyone has different skills and niches and is accomplished in their own field. We have leaders, innovators, creators and plain old hard workers.

While I consider the student body to be one of Gaylord's most valuable resources, there is a nagging temptation to constantly compare. If there is one thing that can ruin self-esteem and confidence, it's comparison. This has been one of my greatest struggles throughout my college career. Comparisons and the need to be good enough keep me constantly over working and second guessing myself.

The truth is that "enough" is relative. When I ask myself, "am I good enough?" the immediate follow up question should be "for who?". If your own experiences bring you joy and lead you on the path to being who you want to be, than they are valid and most definitely good enough. When we get to express our passions through our work we produce the highest quality work we can that is uniquely our own. Whether that looks like leading a group and being the president of a club or doing volunteer work for a nonprofit you want to support, its the passion you have for your work that makes it good enough.

I hope to empower students at all points in their professional careers to be proud of their work and ideas regardless of what other's are doing, but also to empower students to have the courage to turn down opportunities that are not exciting and do not align with your passions. Being successful and good enough is not about doing the most. It's about doing what you love to the best of your abilities.