I've learned that when you can root out the self-judgements that are propagating your pain, you can transform yourself. And the thing that transforms you, the thing makes everything work in any self-discovery or healing process, is (self) love.
The #1 thing you need for these times (Hint: it starts with a J)
“What is one thing you did yesterday that gave you joy?”
I heard my husband Travis ask his Zoom room of 7th grade students that question one morning last week. Apparently, this is one of the most common questions he asks them during their daily check-in call. (side note: I’m learning a lot about what an amazing teacher he is, as we've done the work-at-home space sharing dance over these last 6 months).
An Invitation to Rest
If you’re feeling exhausted right now, I’m with you. These last few weeks and months have been a lot to take in and show up for. I've been listening, learning (and unlearning), and reflecting on how I can be a better ally to the Black community. With our collective energy and efforts, I pray that something new is blooming— to finally help heal the racial divide in the US, to remind us of our inseparable connection to each other and all living things, and to help us see that what is done to one of us, is done to all of us.
There is No "Right" Way to Feel Right Now
When people ask me that question lately I’m not sure how to respond (honestly, it depends on the moment you ask). It’s an intense time for all of us and nothing is “normal.” This is clearly a defining moment of change, and we are each being asked to pause, look at our lives with new perspective, and honor the interconnectedness of all life (more on that in another post).
There’s a lot to feel right now, especially with so many of our typical distractions and numbing agents stripped away. Suddenly, we're being asked to BE with ourselves in new ways. I’m doing my best to show up for it— for myself, for my people. To be gentle with myself and others knowing we’re all doing the best we can in the face of so much uncertainty. To honor what my body says she needs TODAY (and sometimes that changes hour to hour).
Rest + Recovery = Resilience
Yesterday I returned home from a week on the Big Island of Hawaii. The truth is, the first six weeks of 2020 felt like an entire year (can anyone else relate?!) and I was already in serious need of a chance to slow my sprint to more of a saunter, get some rest, and reconnect with myself through nature.
The Outcome of Self-Care is Empowerment: A love note for Valentine's Day
I absolutely love love. I find it to be the most natural thing ever to share it with my people, my pooch, even a stranger on the street. But this thing here, this “self-love”, has been a much harder and deeper and truer relationship to cultivate. It requires a level of honesty and compassion and, most often, unwavering self-forgiveness that has taken a lifetime of practice (yep, still practicing).