One Step at a Time

After what I would consider one of the most challenging weeks of my life, I find myself in reflection and gratitude. I won't bore you with all the details, but I was working a ton of hours on a critical consulting project and lacking sleeping, then throw in the anniversary of a dear friend's death, getting dumped and losing 4 days worth of work all in the same day.
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I may be resilient and have thick skin, but we all have our limits and this debacle definitely crossed that threshold for me. While reflecting back on the week though, I am able to highlight some areas where I'm really proud of myself for how I handled the it all.

My gut reaction was to lock myself inside like a hermit and work non-stop all weekend to recreate all the work I lost. However, I recognized, while busy work may keep my mind off things, it wasn't what my soul needed. If I wanted to bounce back, I needed connection, laughter and friends. So, instead I followed through on my weekend plans which included Saturday night at The Magic Castle in Hollywood and celebrating a friends's birthday on Sunday. For me, that was a huge win!

The old me would have never prioritized me or self-care in times like this. I would have automatically withdrawn and gone into "fix-it mode", because it's easier than facing reality and sitting in all the feelings.

I think sometimes life throws these curve balls at us so we can see how far we've come. It's a reminder that we're on the right path and we should continue to put in the work. I can tell you, none of this happened over night. I began my inner work seven years ago and, like everyone else, am still a wonderful work in progress. Our healing and transformation will never be done; we just face different challenges throughout time.

Take a moment this week to reflect on some moments that really challenged you. How did you handle them? How did you heal/recover? Did you speak up for and/or prioritize yourself? What lessons did you learn? With this, I caution you to not obsess or overanalyze. That often leads down a rabbit hole of disappointment and shame. Instead, simply be self-aware recognizing your proudest accomplishments and where you still have some work to do.

We often neglect to celebrate ourselves and our accomplishments. Plan something this week to pamper yourself. I scheduled a facial and scalp massage and cannot wait! <3

Here's to another week of living your life by design, not by default!