03/07/2026
Enjoy the cupcake.
"You have to learn to enjoy the cupcake, Rachel."
Those are the words my husband told me after I told him I felt guilty for eating an amazing, phenomenal, life-changing (not really, but you get the picture) gluten-free cupcake yesterday. It was about ten minutes after I ate 1/2 of the dark chocolate espresso cake from heaven and instead of enjoying that moment guilt crept in.
Guilt because in February I gave up most sugar.
Guilt because in January I decided I was going to get strong.
Guilt because in March I wanted to not eat as much sugar and still get strong.
Guilt because I am human.
He looked at me and told me that I needed to figure out how to live in balance and without the guilt of living life.
Living life.
You know, I've thought about it since then. I've thought about how hard we are on ourselves or how frustrated we get over the things we do. It's not that we shouldn't try hard or push ourselves or live with goals - it's more that we are okay with ourselves whether we eat the cupcake or we don't.
It means we still love ourselves.
It means we understand ourselves too.
For me, I had to figure out why the guilt over this cupcake. It wasn't even that I was set out on a weight-loss journey - my goal was a journey of strength, but ultimately, balance. And isn't balance about knowing when to say yes and be happy and knowing when to say no and being just as happy?
It's about both.
It's about loving ourselves.
Life is too short to live in frustration and guilt.
Life is too short to not live with grace.
Grace for cupcake days.
Grace for three mile-run days.
Grace for chips and queso days.
Grace for walk days.
Grace for productive days.
Grace for chill days.
Grace for sleep in days.
Grace for get up early days.
Grace for our story.
If we are constantly beating ourselves up for our stories then we need to look at our hearts. What needs to change? Why are we feeling this guilt?
Life is too short to live always frustrated at ourselves.
We have to learn to enjoy the good moments too.
You are precious.
You are important.
You are priceless.
You are worthy.
You are wonderful.
Life is a balance.
Give yourself grace.
For all the moments.
~Rachel
pic by Conor Brown on Unsplash because I didn't have one of the cupcakes because I enjoyed them. ❤
Ps… I wrote this three years ago and it came up in my memories and I thought how it was exactly the reminder I needed today and then I thought maybe one of you do too.
