YIPEE! We did it! We launched The LIFT!
Full speed ahead! And, it just would NOT have been the same without YOU. I truly appreciate all of your feedback + love notes this week. I’m so glad this newsletter is doing what it’s meant to do - LIFT.
If you missed the first issue, you can read it here. (Read it first to learn what this publication is all about + why you need it in your life. I mean - who couldn’t use a LIFT?)
Ready to LIFT Off?
It’s so cool to witness the creative process (aka: The Muse). One of the things I love most about writing is watching the message reveal itself. I can sit down with a very clear topic + intention in mind, but when all is said + done, something TOTALLY different comes out on the screen. It just unfolds.
The Muse is fun to follow around. Did you happen to bump into her this week when you were out trying new things?
Here’s what she brought to me to share with you.
FUN FACT: September is Self Care Awareness Month
There’s something interesting about this time of year. I don’t know if it’s the result of decades of going to school myself or years of taking my own kids to school or the endless cycles of back to school shopping, etc. But, somewhere inside there is this sense of wanting to get back to routine, back to basics, back to work.
Even though it’s been years since my kids were in school + long gone are ‘back to school’ days, there is still an underlying yearning right now to get ‘back to’…something.
You know that feeling when you get home from a long vacation? That’s what September feels like for me. You swing open the front door + step inside. You are carrying bags full of dirty laundry + things to put away. You are jet-lagged from all of the fun + your heart is filled with all of the happy memories you just created on your summer adventures.
But man - it feels GOOD to be home.
It’s a big sigh of relief. That sense of security + peace that comes from returning to your own space. Being able to fully relax. Getting back to your routine. A hot shower. Your own bed. Your favorite pillow.
When I think about my own self care right now - that’s what I feel like. Like I just got home from a long vacation. And, I can’t wait to get everything back in its place so I can get back to ‘real life’.
MY life.
As women, we spend a lot of our energy tending to others. We are quick to put our own self care on the back burner. To see it as a ‘luxury’ or something we will get to later in our ‘free time’.
We are quick to forget the fact that you can’t pour from an empty cup. That we serve others much more effectively when our own needs are met. That taking care of ourselves is essential - not ‘extra’.
YOUR MISSION:
This week, I challenge you to listen to that feeling that calls you home right now. What needs to be put back in place for yourself? Use this time while everyone is scurrying around with ‘back to school’ madness to get things back in order for yourself.
But first, tell me an area of your own self care that is calling to you right now. Maybe it’s time alone, creativity, diet, exercise, sleep, reading, writing, nature.
What do you need more of right now? Click that button + leave a comment. Let’s SHARE with each other!
After you leave your comment, check the next section for 3 steps to better self care + ways to fuel yourself if you’re stuck. (Guess what? It doesn’t require time or money. Just a shift in mindset + a little awareness.)
3 STEPS TO BETTER SELF CARE
Stop + listen. Yes, this is the hardest part, but once you get quiet, I promise, you will get clear quickly on exactly what you need. So, close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths. And listen. What is your ‘self’ asking for? Time alone? Creative outlet? Nature? Clean food? Movement? Rest? What do you need? Where are you empty?
Write it down. Whatever came to mind, write it down. Fast. It is SO easy to go right back to life + completely forget what you told yourself. Write it down. Put it on a sticky note somewhere where you will see it (bathroom mirror, refrigerator, dashboard, computer).
Say it out loud. This seems redundant to writing it down, but it’s TOTALLY different. There is something about speaking out loud that turns thoughts into things. Bring your self care need forward by saying it out loud. Say it to yourself. Say it to a friend. Just say it out loud + watch the magic as it begins to manifest in your life.
GET FULL (OF YOURSELF):
WATCH: Self Care: What it Really Is
READ: What Is Self-Care and Why Is It So Important for Your Health?
FIND YOUR FUEL:
IN SUMMARY:
Self care matters. You matter. And I hope reading this gives you a little incentive to take your own self care a little bit more seriously this week. Please don’t put it off. We need your cup full. We need you overflowing. We need you at the helm of your life - feeling empowered, focused + ready. We need women in the world who are dangerously awake + fully alive.
Take care of yourself + watch the ripple effect it causes. It always starts with you!
See you next week?
P.S. If you enjoyed this post, please share it in your world using the button below. And, if you’d like to stay in touch in real time during the week for all the ‘behind-the-scenes’, you can find me on Instagram @redefiningkaren or on Facebook @cleanbeautyadvocate.
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In the meantime, tell your friends!
I feel like u have been reading my mind. During a sluggish run yesterday I had so much on my mind. Why was I suffering? Was is because I haven’t slept in a year due to hot flashes, was my eating not as clean as I thought, was it the stress of the world. YES! Thank u for reminding me to take a moment. I am going to practice being more mindful this week and take time to breath!!
It seems that these things you listed (right on, by the way) keep getting interrupted or maybe better said they need constant re-consideration, revision, revival. For instance, de-fining what alone time means. It was a real challenge when I had little ones to watch after. And when they left home, it felt 'lonely' to be alone. Then I began to get creative about MY space. I've always enjoyed having a 'creative space' where I hang out with myself. However, I'm feeling a little lost right now (post-pandemic?) so I'm thinking that's where I will focus this week. Snuggling into an inviting corner of the world always give me a LIFT (and unleashes my creativity, relieves stress, helps me sleep better, improves my frame of mind, yada yada). Thanks for the reminder of how important it is to claim my personal space in this crowded world.