Write Your Own Story. Live That Life / AR.
A few weeks ago I received an email from someone inviting me to be a part of an event they are putting together addressing burnout and identity overwhelm.
In the email, they listed a few requirements for speaker participants. Most were standard — helping spread the word about the event, being present for your session and a Q&A, etc. But there was one specification that really bothered me.
Read MoreIn our chaotic, achievement-oriented society, it's easy to fall into the trap of measuring our worth by what we do rather than who we are. Our sense of self becomes dictated by how much we accomplish in a given day, linking our value to the tasks we complete, the goals we achieve, or the recognition we receive.
But to what end? What happens to our worth on a day we do less? What happens when we sleep in and aren’t as productive in the morning? What happens if we try something and fail? Are we no longer worthy?
Read MoreAfter you have a baby, coming back to the office after working from home during the pandemic, holiday get togethers, season changes, aging...we have all been hit with it at some point in time or another.
One of the worst times is summer.
The hope that no one asks us to go to a pool party or head to the lake because we fear having to see ourselves (let alone have others see us) in our swimsuit.
"It can't be that time of year again, is it?"
And we start feeling this pressure to do what we can to "get in shape" to wear a swimsuit. But all of that messaging is brought to you by the diet, fitness, and clothing industry. They want you to buy the newest supplement. They get rich on your negative self-talk and count on your shame taking over as soon as the sun hits your face.
Sure, their marketing plan works. Why?
Read MoreBeauty. A concept I have found difficult to define to encapsulate the depth and complexity of the term. While it is true, our worth and value should consider who we are, what we stand for and how we show up for those around us, there is another side to the coin.
We live in a culture where the way you look (appearance, body type, weight, skin color, gender presentation, etc) often outweighs those things in determining someone's "beauty".
And yet we pretend this ladder of comparison and judgment doesn't exist, silently perpetuating the polarization of who is and is not beautiful based on a subjective physical experience of a person or people.
In an attempt to move away from this exclusionary system, many have swung to the other end of the spectrum. They are focused on defining beauty purely for who we are on the inside. And as I said a few sentences ago, this is important and should be a factor. But we can't pretend that we are not physical beings in a physical world where we experience people based on the way they look (sight) and the presence of their physical bodies (touch). As such, the term MUST be defined in a way that includes our physical self and our mental, emotional and spiritual self.
Let me clarify what I mean by this.
You, yes, you, are already beautiful both inside and out. What do I mean by this?
Read MoreStagnancy. It may not seem like it, but this is one of the most detrimental life holds: to live in complacency.
To be guided by what becomes the “predictable shittyness” of our life — sacrificing the possibility of “what if” for the known.
Don’t get me wrong. Stability and predictability can be wonderful and in some cases necessary, but those are not synonymous with stagnancy.