What have you been cooking lately?
We’ve been cooking in full on fall mode over here: pumpkin mac n’ cheese, pumpkin muffins, so many different kinds of chili, plus this lentil sausage kale soup have all been crowd pleasers.
Oh, and I can’t forget the apple honey cake my mom made (like this one here)… truly unforgettable.
With my recent social media break, I found myself spending more time in the kitchen. It’s been fun to cook more, especially because cozy fall foods are my favorite.
During my time away from Instagram, I reflected a lot on my relationship with and thoughts about social media.
Before I became an entrepreneur, I didn’t have any social media. When I started my business, I heard, ‘you’ve got to have social media if you want to have your own business!‘ So, that’s what I did. And, that’s the story I’ve been telling myself for 8ish years.
Every day I’d think, ‘I have to have social media for my business. I’m on here because I have to be.’
Well, about a month ago I decided to take an extended (for me) break from Instagram and take inventory of it all.
I loved my time away. I felt less frazzled, more present, and less overwhelmed.
And, I also had a big revelation.
During the few weeks away, I realized that being on social media… like most things in life… truly is a choice.
I also realized that it’s a choice I want to make.
I love the conversations that happen on Instagram — the way it’s brought messages like intuitive eating + body acceptance to more people, introduced me to new voices + people’s work, allowed me to connect with such amazing people, and more.
I realized that right now I do want to be part of these conversations. It’s not a have to, it’s a choice.
I’m back from the break and every time I open up the app feels so different than it did before.
Before, I felt like I had to. Now, I know that I choose to.
I’m sharing this reflection with you because I think it’s important to remember + reconnect with the moments each day where you have a choice. Is there something in your life that you feel like you ‘have to’ do that is actually a choice? It might be social media but it might be something totally different.
Following food + exercise rules?
People pleasing?
Rejecting who you are to fit into some idea of who you ‘should’ be?
Feeling like you need to do it all on your own?
All too often you are making a choice that you don’t even realize you have the freedom to (or not to) make. Recognizing this also gives you the freedom to choose differently moving forward.
I can’t encourage you enough to step back from the ‘have to’ and really get curious with yourself. Every time I’ve done this, it’s been so empowering.
What choices are yours to make? How do you want to choose?
