Embrace Now: Reflecting During Mental Health Awareness Month

Hi friends,

I hope this note finds you safe and healthy. Full disclosure, I've been meaning to write this for the last couple weeks, as May is Mental Health Awareness Month. But truth be told, life has been very challenging, confronting, and often I have felt lost and uncertain. At first, I thought I should wait until I'm in a really positive, joyful, high vibration before I offer you my words of authenticity or guidance. But then I thought "Why would now not be the perfect time? I am simply experiencing the human condition and living in a very trying time. Why on earth would I keep that from my readers and my community?"

I refer to myself as a "recovering, over-achieving perfectionist." It has always been "What can I achieve? How can I succeed? How can I do more, be more, earn more, feel better about myself, fix everything that's broken and help other people?" etc. Well "recovery" is fluid, and never linear.

We are all under more stress than usual in the midst of this pandemic. We are all feeling underneath it in some way — trying to produce, trying to stay busy, trying to stay connected, and trying to stay in control of our lives. The truth is, this is extremely challenging! It's the reality of life and the human condition. It is also the reality of nature.

Chances are you've heard me say: We teach best what we most need to learn. Well I have had to practice my own guidance, follow my own advice, and stop to rest, tune-in, and get quiet. I have had to practice listening to my inner wisdom about what I needed most for my own energy, mentality, and well-being. I am relearning the lesson to practice major self-care.

I discovered that first and foremost I must focus on my own energy, healing, and inner work. I need to allow myself to pause, recalibrate, and process what I've been feeling. Besides, it's from that place that we grow and shift. It's from that place that we can express our gifts. It's been so valuable for me to stop and take this time and do the work it takes to restore and recharge my batteries.

On the airplane we're told to put our own oxygen mask on first before helping another person, and we all understand what it means. Shouldn't we be practicing that all the time? I can offer you this: Be good to yourself, listen to what your needs are in this moment right here and right now and honor them. The present moment is all we have. We do not know the future. We have no control over the outcome of things, but what we do have control over is our values, our beliefs, our thoughts, our breath, how we choose to move and take care of ourselves, and who we choose to love. The first person on that list should be yourself.

So my goal right now is to allow - allow the ebbs and flows, allow the stuck-ness, the inertia, the pain. And when there's joy, inspiration, and motivation I allow that as well — I embrace it, savor it, live it out loud, and offer it to others. At the core of who I am lies a teacher, a guide, a coach. I would rather share my knowledge of growth and healing for the betterment of others than anything else in the world. My intention is to connect with you and guide you on your healing journey. I am committed to your health and well-being. My guidance is here for you should you choose to receive it.

My mission in life is to provide a safe healing space, guidance, and tools on the transformational journey toward a life of true well-being and joy. I can only do that for others when I have first done that for myself, filled up my own cup, and practiced what I preached.

Perhaps overachieving, producing product and content, offering a million things to a million people isn't the only way we make the world a better place. Maybe it's simply by showing up - showing up for ourselves first so that we may show up for our loved ones, and for the collective. Perhaps then we make the world a better place simply by being in it.