You Do You, Boo

I’m at the beach this week unplugging from life and giving myself some much needed rest and replenishment. It’s been just what I hoped it would be — a time to declutter my mind and spirit, taking each day as it comes and deciding what I want to do minute by minute — Fun time with family playing board games, taking turns cooking delicious meals, and jumping and splashing around in the beautifully-warm ocean.

Today, I opted out of going to the beach and stayed at the house by myself. I spent time coloring (yes, in a coloring book), sitting quietly looking at the endless blue sky, and spending quality time alone — something I can at times find uncomfortable, but today was just what I needed. And now I’m excited for everyone to get back and have our night together.

What a difference it makes to take care of myself in this seemingly simple way.

Had I neglected my soul’s needs and gone along with the crowd to prevent anyone feeling like it was them that I needed a break from or to succumb to any feelings of FOMO (fear of missing out), I would’ve abandoned myself.

Do that enough and I teach myself that I can’t be counted on to take good care of my needs. This can quickly snowball into self doubt and mistrust which gets sprinkled like clutter all over the trail to my BHAG (big, hairy, audacious goal).

Isn’t it incredible how things stack up?

Small-ish actions you take or don’t take build up and affect the trajectory of your journey, whether that is a bold move that results in a powerful gust that comes up behind you and moves you forward or something you do that isn’t aligned with your vision that results in hurricane-force winds coming at you and holding you back.

This is why we gotta be as mindful as possible with how we spend our time, what we say yes to, who we spend time with, and how well we nurture our soul. Because after all, the only thing truly standing in your way is you and while that may be a tough pill to swallow, it’s can also be incredibly empowering. The cool thing? You get to decide which.