Self-Love Who Dis?
Get ready for a raw, vulnerable, and honest bonus episode all about fear of being vulnerable, self-love and where it's gone (seriously it's been a little MIA), and why we need to treat ourselves with more kindness and compassion.
I've been wanting to do more solo podcast episodes for months now, but I've been having the HARDEST time sitting down to record. I've been feeling uncomfortable about being more vulnerable. I've been so vulnerable in the last 6 months, so to have moments where I don't want to be vulnerable or feel uncomfortable being vulnerable freaked me out. Am I being hypocritical? Am I not practicing what I'm preaching?
The truth is - it's not hypocritical. Vulnerability ebbs and flows. Our ability to step outside of ourselves, step outside of our shells, to share who we are, and be authentic in that way ebbs and flows.
It felt important for me to come on here, share this, and to be honest about the fears I've been wrestling with.
None of this is easy for ANY OF US. But, it's a choice. It's a choice to be vulnerable, share more about who we are, and feel good about being brave in that way.
As many of you know, I'm going through a transition with my life and career. There's been a lot of fear and I've been questioning myself a lot lately. Am I doing the right thing? Am I listening to the signs correctly? Am I trusting my intuition?
With those questions comes a lot of self-judgment. If there's one thing I've learned from all of the informational interviews and all of the people I've spoken to over the last 3.5 months is this: you have to stick to who you are. You have to stay true to who you are, what you believe in, and what you want your life to look like. If that means walking an unconventional or "different" path - then you've got to do it. Because at the end of the day it's your life, and your choice.
With transitions comes not only fear, but also a struggle to feel good, confident, and positive about ourselves. Seriously, we've all been there.
This morning I was standing in the kitchen and I just felt like crap. I started down the negative self-talk rabbit hole. I called myself a loser - and then I stopped myself. "OMG Sydney you CANNOT talk to yourself this way. You are not a loser!"
Sometimes, we forget to really take stock of who we are, what we've done, and what we're doing. I'm not a loser. You're not a loser. If you are going through a hard time, no matter what it's about or what it might look like, remember it's happening for a reason and there's a greater purpose to it.
At the end of the day you are strong, you are special, you are important. (I feel like I just changed up that scene from The Help). Remind yourself of that. Take 30 seconds today, look yourself in the mirror, and remind yourself of who you are, why you're special, and what you're here to do.
There's a moment in today's episode where I cry - and I chose not to cut that out. (Even though I really wanted to at first). It felt really important to keep that moment in there. I'm going to continue to be honest and real and vulnerable with all of you, and that means if I start to cry - I'm going to share it.
It's easy to be mean to ourselves.
It's easy to feel overwhelmed.
It's easy to get stuck in feeling defeated.
It's harder to look at yourself in the mirror and be proud.
It's harder to compliment yourself.
It's harder to wrap yourself up in the blanket of self-love. To be kind, compassionate, and taking a break.
So please, be kind to yourself. Be kind to others.
I think we tend to think of self-love as a destination. We think that it means we arrive there and we never have a bad day again or we never struggle. Being human means we struggle, and it's our choice to love ourselves and be kind and compassionate and do things that bring you joy.
If you're having a bad day, if you're struggling, if you're feeling overwhelmed - it doesn't mean that you're doing life wrong. It doesn't mean that you're doing self-love wrong. It means you're doing it right. Because the ebb and the flow is part of the journey.
Don't let the bully in your head win. Don't let that negative self-talk take control. Don't let yourself get stuck.
So, how did I get myself out of this space?
1. I called my mom - because she'll always let me share the feelings and emotions I'm experiencing without judgment.
2. I listened to 3 podcasts that got me out of my head.
3. I went on a walk - moved my body, and switched up the energy.
What are your go-to's when you're having a rough morning?
It's about getting out of my head and the negative self-talk and reminding myself that everything is ok! It's ok that you're not where you want to be (yet), it's ok that you woke up in a bad mood, or that you're upset about something. It's temporary.
We're going to have moments of frustration. It's ok. Give yourself a break.
I love you guys, thank you for listening and reading. At the end of the day, it's about building ourselves up, building up this community, and reminding all of us that we're not alone.
Until next week, ✨ #SeekTheJoy - hit SUBSCRIBE - and it would mean so much if you could give the podcast a rating and/or review on iTunes ✨💛🎧
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If you rate/review the podcast on iTunes make sure to e-mail us a screenshot of your review to sydney@seekthejoypodcast.com and as a token of my appreciation and gratitude for your love and support, I'll send you my NEW #SeekTheJoy Guide for Infusing More Joy into Your Life document! I've created this guide based on what I've learned from these #SeekTheJoy conversations. Along with this guide, you'll also receive two limited edition Seek The Joy Podcast stickers which I will mail out to you!
The fourth episode in our series, The Power of Storytelling, airs on April 19th! We want you to be part of it! To learn more and to submit your story, visit the Share Your Story section of our website. Fill out our interest form - and we'll get back to you ASAP.
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