“Once women find sisterhood, there’s nothing stronger.”
We hear a lot about self-care and the importance of self-care. Do, I think self-care is important? Absolutely. But, I think it goes deeper then self-care. I don’t think we can practice self-care until we practice self-compassion.
There are many different branches that come off of the self-compassion tree, but the one I want to focus on today is: Community vs. Isolation.
I just want to be by myself. Sometimes I feel like that and sometimes you probably feel like that and that’s ok. Sometimes is ok – all the time is not. Isolation can become dangerous very quickly and is usually associated with low self-esteem and/or depression. We are meant to be with others – humans are designed to be a part of a community.
One of the reasons that Let’s Get It Girl was created, is because I am a firm believer in the power of community and wanted to create a space where a strong sisterhood could come alive. My Let It Go Girl classes and Let’s Go Girl retreats are meant to be just that. A place where women can come, in any season of life, in any mood, any outfit, literally just. as. you. are. No judgement and no cliques, a 100% safe space for women to do life together – learning + growing + having fun along the way.
As humans, we have a need to belong and want to have a feeling of association, but that can be difficult sometimes, due to limiting beliefs. I wanted to address a few of those today:
I would encourage you to look inward and spend some time analyzing your thoughts. You may be surprised by how strong your inner critic can be – don’t believe everything you think. If you don’t have kind thoughts about yourself, then you’re going to have a tough time living a fulfilling life. Life hack #1 – if your inner dialogue is anything other than supportive, encouraging or loving, acknowledge the unkindness and change course. There are several ways to do this – tell yourself something positive, maybe it’s how well you handled a situation or something you are grateful for or how gorgeous you feel in those new red heels.
OMG. Stop comparing yourself to others. We’re like snowflakes - no two are alike. Snowflakes don’t compare themselves to others and neither should you. You have permission to compare yourself to one person – you. I promise that “Becky with the good hair” has bad hair days too. Life hack #2 - Whomever you compare yourself to, try to be a little realistic…no one lives a picture-perfect life, no matter what they say, do or post.
You don’t need approval from anyone, so don’t live your life the way you think others want you to. Doing so is like trying to eat a lemon without scrunching your face. It doesn’t work. Which leads me to…
Be intentional with your relationships. There is no time for toxic relationships, so ditch those real quick and don’t feel bad about it – they’ll move on and so will you. Instead, surround yourself with those that love, support and encourage you. Those are your people. Life hack #3 – If you’re having a tough time figuring out if you should end a relationship, ask yourself this question: “Do they make me feel amazing?” If the answer is no, your answer is yes.
Step outside of your comfort zone! It’s ok (and great!) to try something new. Be a part of something that you are passionate about – you will be so glad (and proud) that you did! I promise, no one will bite…unless you’re joining an alligator wrestling group, then I take that back…it could happen. Life hack #4 – if you are nervous about joining a group, grab a gal pal and go together! If it’s awesome, you’ll talk about it forever and if it’s not awesome, you’ll laugh about it forever – either way, it’s a win-win! My point is, you don’t have to do it alone!
Be patient. It’s ok if it takes a few tries to find a group or community that works for you, but when you find it, you’ll be grateful that you didn’t give up.
Have fun! Embrace, engage and enjoy that beautiful life of yours – you have so much to offer others – get out there, girl!
What if you could grab a little more self-compassion from the community branch and what if you found an awesome sisterhood of women and it changed your life?
Just a thought…