DAY 2: 5 DAY SELF-CARE CHALLENGE
Today is the second day of my free community 5-Day Self-Care Challenge, which is all about experiencing moments of calm in the chaos, finding ways to release tension and heal, learning to soften our approach to life’s challenges, and connecting with others who understand and support our journey.
15 minutes of journaling. 15 minutes of walking. THE gift of a lifetime to ourselves. It’s never too late to sign up: Click here to join.
In the spirit of connection, I thought I would share the journal prompt and my response at the end of each day. Sharing my personal writing is always uncomfortable, but in the discomfort, there’s growth. I know this to be true, and when I remind myself of this, things tend to get a whole lot less uncomfortable. So here it is, my entry for day 2…
JOURNAL PROMPT: What’s one aspect of my journey that has improved, even if just a little? How can I acknowledge and celebrate this progress as a sign of my inner strength?
If Little You could see you now, she’d be astonished at what you’ve done with your one wild and precious life (thus far). There’s the material things you’ve acquired over the years that would have seemed impossible to get as a little girl growing up in the projects. You’ve traveled around the world. You started a business. You wrote a book. You’ve got a MBA! You led 400ish people in the workplace! You’re now a coach!
Sometimes, the you of today thinks you haven’t done nearly enough, but when you think about telling Little You about how far you’ve come, you know she wouldn’t believe it, and that’s all the reminder you need that you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be in life.
I’d like to take this in a different direction though. The one aspect of my journey that has improved that I think she’d be most proud of is the fact that I allow myself to be seen. I share my writing, my experiences, the good, the tough, and everything in between.
Little Me was quiet and shy. I don’t know if I was just quiet and shy or if I was that way because that’s what the people around me said about me, but either way, it was true. I had a lot to say, but I mostly let it out in my journal or to people I trusted. My words weren’t just for anyone. I dreaded being called on in class, even though I knew the answer. I hated getting on stage, and someone please give me the flu if it means getting out of a presentation.
I slowly came out of that in high school, even more so in college. Alcohol helped. However, from my late teens through my twenties, my voice often held the words that I knew others wanted to hear.
It took me until my thirties, well into them if I’m being honest, to show up as my full self and be seen. I’m not perfect, and I don’t try to be or portray myself as such. I don’t even long to attain perfection at this point, because I know that’s an impossible standard. But I don’t let the fact that I’m going to fall short get in the way of me being myself and showing up day after day.
