I was brought up to believe you never spend more than you have (ok dipping into my dad’s wallet sometimes helped!) I learned to save and make pretty good choices all things considered. Then I met my husband and from the time we started dating until the time we divorced, I allowed myself to make decisions that were NOT in the best interest of myself, nor my family.
It’s finally April this week! That means spring is here! After a long and freezing winter, still in a global pandemic, I think we’re all ready for a little sunshine.
I love spring. Don’t you just love putting on your brighter colored clothing and wearing heels instead of winter boots? I know I’m ready.
I feel the exact same way about home décor! We spend the winter months sitting on the couch and always seem to have cozy blankets close by. These blankets, as well as other home accessories tend be darker colored and more subdued in their feel. Spring is the time to freshen your home and add some color! It is the ultimate act of self-love and self-care when you can create a home that creates joy. These changes don’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. There are many things you can do to refresh your space on a budget.
Change… it’s the only constant.
We can fight it, we can try to avoid it, but change happens.
Change can be really hard. We as a people, are not by nature, adaptive to change. Why? Change means ‘new.’ Change involves the unknown. Change means breaking comfortable patterns. Change involves going outside our comfort zone. We can fight change, we can try to avoid it, but change happens. And while change can come as a huge relief if we’ve just moved past a bad chapter in our lives, change can also be very scary. It involves tremendous risk, and can really tickle our insecurities.
But here’s what’s true– you make the choice about how you’re going to respond to change. You hold the power. On this #MotivationMonday, understand that change welcomes in a wonderful sense of freedom.
Tory Burch’s quote above applies to business, true, but it also applies to marriage, parenting, or just LIFE. When we sit complacent on the fence paralyzed by fear of change, life will just pass us by.
And when I say, “no thank you right now is, ” it doesn’t mean I won’t be interested in a couple of weeks, months, or next year. It means for today. And when I keep the door open, I feel good about that. I read somewhere once that “SAYING NO TO SOMEONE, IS SAYING YES TO YOURSELF.” Just let that soak in. It’s really true. Saying no to someone else, means saying yes to yourself. It means freeing yourself up to do more of the things you love… read a book, go for a walk, take a painting class. Whatever.
I know it’s trite but I’m going to say it anyway. Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the chilled smell in the air, seeing the leaves change and eating my weight in apples smothered with almond butter.
It can also be a time of intense overwhelm– throw in a global pandemic, and you’ve got yourself quite the fall 2021! Combining the feeding frenzy that starts at Halloween and blazes on until the new year and you are destined to feel like a stuffed turkey who’s seen better days. With everything we put on our plates during Fall, literally and figuratively, it is no wonder we beg for green juice and a rest come January.
I came across this quote a few years ago in an email and I have to say, it changed me. Just imagine. Think about this concept. You are one choice away from changing your entire life’s direction. ONE CHOICE. If you reflect upon your life, you’ve come to where you are through a series of choices, no doubt. But each one of our long and windy paths started with one choice. A single choice. And if this concept seems too abstract, let me give you an example… You are on a business trip, sitting at the bar in a strange country. A man propositions you to go up to his room. Your answer at that moment, that yes or no, that ONE CHOICE, could change your life.
When I look at how I manage the everyday juggle and grind, there are two things that keep me most grounded through it all. There are two things, that no matter how stressed I am, or how frazzled I may be, that literally transform my entire aura. One is meditation.
The other… yoga.
Photo credit: Pinterest
About 13 years ago, I was close to burning out. Literally. I don’t think anyone knew just how close I was. If you’re reading our blog today for the first time- I owned a successful company, I had sales growing by the quarter. I was named one of the Top 30 Under 30 Entrepreneurs. Top 40 Under 40 Nominee. I graced the cover of multiple business sections in newspapers. I was named a Profit Hot 50 Company- One of Canada’s 50 Emerging Growth Companies- I was the only female CEO on the list. And more. I was newly married. I had no kids.
I was an advertising executive in the television industry for 12 years before I jumped off the fence. I am an only child, raised by an Asian mother who had her own successful career in the medical field, and a German-American father with a successful career in the aerospace industry. I was raised to excel in my studies and obtain the high-paying executive job and title. I was on my way.
I was fortunate to have found my soul mate and husband in my late 20’s, and we both decided to wait a few years before starting our family. My first daughter came along shortly after my promotion into a management position. Having the financial resources, we had a full-time nanny, which allowed me to continue my career. My job required much time, travel, and intellectual/emotional effort. Being in the entertainment industry, I got to meet and work with famous television and movie stars. In addition to attending awards shows, movie premieres, and launch parties, my husband and I got to attend exciting events such as the Olympics and the Super Bowl.
The other day a woman walked into a doctor’s office and issued a demand that summed up why the world is in such a mess.
“Look, I know I got a million things wrong with me, but I really don’t want a lecture,” she announced. “I just want a pill that will make it all go away.”
I help busy women (like you!) prioritize self-care so you can experience less stress, more calm and greater joy every day!
