After the big UNMEASURED bday bundle sale, I wanted to give your inbox a rest. That rest turned into an unintentional emailing sabbatical.
I’m genuinely happy to be here with you now, sipping coffee, and sharing from the heart.
In a way, the unintentional sabbatical is very aligned with my “approach” to sharing this year: don’t say something just to say it.
Say it because you feel it deeply, truly mean it, or are so excited you couldn’t possibly hold it in.
Today, I’m sharing because of all of the above.
Almost one year ago, my professional life took a turn I did not see coming. It was a total out-of-nowhere surprise to my brain (and my life). It was not, however, a surprise to my intuition. In fact, she felt it coming for a good bit of time, softly preparing me for the change.
In the early summer of last year, I got a DM about an opportunity. Truth be told, I thought the DM was an invite to be on a friend of a friend’s podcast. It quickly became clear that what I thought was going to be a chat about how to eat intuitively was actually the first of many interviews for a new role at a brand new health care startup (spoiler alert: it’s one I’ve now been in for 10 months 🤯).
I didn’t see that plot twist coming!
And yet, I definitely felt it.
For more than a year before this opportunity was on my radar, I kept having this deep down “knowing” that I would be part of a team. I’d mention the feeling to Tim multiple times a week.
It wouldn’t go away but I also couldn’t figure out how it would be realized. I kept saying, “isn’t that strange? How would that even happen?”
Sometimes we know something without knowing how that something will actually happen yet. It’s ok to rest in this “not yet” place.
I’ve been a solopreneur for close to a decade. During this time, I’ve loved to partner and collaborate with others on projects. Without a doubt, those are the most fulfilling and cherished parts of my entrepreneurial experience.
But, at the end of the day, I always felt fully responsible for “my” business.
There were seasons in my life when I loved that feeling and I thrived on it! But when COVID hit, something subtle changed. Was it the isolation? Was it the unknown? Was it navigating motherhood with two small children during a pandemic? Something else? All of the above?
I honestly can’t say, but I do know that something(s) planted the seed and I started to know, “I’m going to be part of a team, even if I have no idea how this will happen.”
Co-creating with others has always been one of the most energizing things for me. To hear people’s perspectives, to watch an idea or vision evolve because of their unique gifts, to feel “in it together” — I love it. It’s why I love to co-create a life with Tim, why I love to co-create energy with our beautiful community in UNMEASURED, and why I’ve loved to partner on professional projects with dear friends.
And, it’s also why when I finally figured out that the DM was a chance to be part of a small team co-creating something amazing together, it felt both out-of-nowhere and also meant to be.
It was a real mental rollercoaster deciding whether or not to say “yes” to this opportunity and in the end, my “yes” was fully rooted in the permission I gave myself to choose: me.
I know that choosing yourself can feel scary, selfish, or a departure from your identity (if “who you are” is wrapped up in caring for others). Or, at least, I know it can be all of those things for me.
Each of those presents an opportunity to go inward, get to know yourself more deeply, and decide what is right for you. The resistance to choosing yourself can be an opportunity to re-learn how to in the first place.
Today, I want to share a few things that helped me. I share these in the hopes they will also help you to choose YOU, too — no matter how small or big the moment of choice is.
👏 Confidence 👏
To me, confidence can be summed up in one word: trust. I had to ground into my self-confidence over and over again during this decision-making period.
I had the amazing opportunity to dive deep on the topic of confidence with two of my dearest friends, Whit & Steph, on their amazing podcast Capture Your Confidence (click here to tune in 🎧).
Could I guarantee what the future would look like? Absolutely not. Could I trust myself to navigate the unknown with a growth mindset, compassion, and openness? 100%. That’s the confidence I rooted into. This podcast episode will take you into the intention, practices, and more of this approach to self-confidence.
I hope you’ll listen to our chat and let me know what resonates with you.
❤️ Compassion ❤️
The ongoing practice of self-compassion has completely transformed my inner dialogue, the way I navigate life, and my relationship with myself. I don’t say that to be dramatic… it truly has. It was with me every step of the way to say “yes” to myself in this situation.
I’ve been sharing a lot about self-compassion on social media lately. These are some posts that can support you if self-compassion is a practice that you’re, well, practicing!
✨ a starting place for self-compassion: questions to ask your inner critic
✨ a breakdown of the three components of self-compassion
✨ my favorite self-compassion exercise
✨ what self-compassion actually sounds like
Let me know what comes up for you when you work through these posts!
💕 Care 💕
If choosing yourself feels selfish, this might be a beautiful time to re-write the story you’re telling yourself about your own needs. I really leaned into this opportunity during my decision-making time. It helped me to feel more connected to myself and find clarity.
Want to make this shift in your own relationship with yourself? I was so grateful to get to chat with Holly about self-care on her inspiring podcast Crush the Rush (click here to tune in 🎧). We talk all about releasing perfection, navigating resistance to your own needs, and honoring your mind and body.
Caring for myself in small, daily ways has helped me to shift my internal dialogue around my needs — from selfish to essential. I’d love you to listen to our chat here and let me know what you needed to hear the most!
I truly hope these three practices, and the resources I shared, will offer you support and encouragement today.
What does all this mean for our little corner of the internet?
I’ll continue to show up here for you in three main ways:
✨ In UNMEASURED! I love supporting our beautiful with joyful, intuitive movement. If you’re not in UNMEASURED yet, you can grab a free 7-day trial here.
✨ Via email! I love writing to you here. My plan is to sit down once (ish) a month to write you something heartfelt and substantial. I look forward to continuing to connect!
✨ On Instagram! I’ve never enjoyed IG more than I am right now. You can follow along with me here if you’d like.
I hope you’ll hit reply and let me know which feels most important in your relationship with yourself today: Confidence, compassion, or care?
