Celebrating yourself? If you would have asked me to 'celebrate myself' 6 months ago...I would have did an "about face" and walked away. Pfft...I don't deserve any self celebration...things aren't looking so awesome, What is there to self celebrate?....eh hem ma'am...PLENTY
Life doing...or launching a business isn't easy...I knew this was the case when I started back in 2013. I'm not new to business starts, before The Lash CEO I had started countless businesses, all with the goal of self-sufficiency, serving others, financial freedom and basically trying to become a Mogul. I still have those goals, and I still plan on achieving them, but it would be incredibly unwise of me to dismiss all of the things I've learned, and accomplished thus far...as so many friends, clients, and acquaintances have reminded me.
They're not wrong. I have accomplished plenty so far...and it's ok that I may be in a hard...very hard season. I still have chapters to complete and dreams to fulfill. But something I'm beginning to understand as I've traveled through this incredibly challenging time in my business is that...I Am Strong, Smart...and I Am Still A Successful entrepreneur. I took my business from nothing...to over 6 figures in under 2 years, I enjoyed personal growth and meeting tons of unique and amazing people. Things that I can't even put a price on...and THAT alone is enough to self celebrate...I see that Now.
Even in the midst of uncertainty for The Lash CEO, I can still proudly say that I have done some amazing things, and accomplished things that 11 years ago I wouldn't have thought were possible. So yeah, self celebration is definitely something I know I need to do more of, and if you've read this far you probably do too.
So after thinking to myself what are some ways that I've been learning to self celebrate, and what that looks like for me...I thought it might be helpful to someone else going through an incredibly tough season to see what others do to self celebrate.
Here are 7 ways I self celebrate, because it's deserved and ways you should too!
Remembering Your Why? - For me this was a big one. I mean I know why I do what I do...but I'm a visual person...so visually I get waay more out of anything. So I would spend even just 20 minutes every few days or more like once a week. Going through my gallery on my phone, and seeing all of
the moments I've captured with my kids, my husband, and myself. At first I didn't realize this was what I was doing. It always started out as me searching for something...and every time I'd get caught up in the images...so many great moments in time...that I have to be so very thankful for. They really are my why...and taking the time to go back and really 'see' them...has really help me refocus and push me to keep going despite the frustration.
2. Move - You know you've heard this one before. If you're feeling depressed or out of sorts...get up...and MOVE. Go outside, change your environment, go for a walk, go hike a trail...get up and Move! I've always known that I enjoy the outdoors, but it wasn't until recently that I understood the endorphin boosting effects of taking to the outside. And now that my husband is retired from the Navy after 25 years, we really can take the time during the day to explore different parks, trails, and ways to get outside and move. I love that he's always up for whatever when it comes to me...and trust me...I can be up to some big Whatever's :-)
How I Nourish Myself - This is another one that is on the we all know this one...but it takes on a different meaning when you literally Need to feed your body better. The funny but not funny ha ha thing with what you eat is that we all know we should be eating to fuel our bodies, but what you eat feeds your brain and hormones too. As we as women begin to edge closer to our late 40's all kinds of changes have begun happening that now start to manifest in ways that we notice. For most of us it's weight gain, mood swings, and just not feeling our baddie selves. I can't tell you how many times I've started an eating plan, or 'program' or joined a bootcamp or challenge to usually quit, or give up...cause ya girl is impatient.
But what's different now is that, my mental health is literally at risk. If I'm not taking inventory on what I fuel my body with...I feel it mentally. I'm grouchier, have less patience for things, and just can't deal with things as I should. So taking time to really study and dig deeper about what I should be fueling with has been a welcome change. Sure I will still indulge in a treat here and there...but for the most part I'm tracking my macros and loving it. Tracking how much I eat, and what I eat on its own has been incredibly enlightening, but the other benefit has been getting to grips with what and how much or how little I'm eating. I used to think meal tracking was the pits...now I treat it like a game...being the competitor at heart that I am it's been pretty cool to see.
Stronger - Again this one I feel is a 'duh'...but I just brushed it off, and thought ehhh I'm strong...I'm good. Ok...I was clearly lying to myself, and had actually become a lot less stronger than I realized. Not to mention I upset my sacrum and SI joint during Covid trying to race my 13 yo son at the time (clearly a big mistake) hindsight is 20/20 no doubt. But either way I now have been dealing with an off and on again injury that also lead to me discovering that I have an extra rib and a half. In addition to a crazy tilted sacrum...which all means that I gotta get stronger for real. The very way I'm built literally means I have to work hard to keep my mobility, strength and vitality. Knowing that now...I make a point to strength train at least twice a week...soon I hope to do 3 days a week. But...one day...one step at a time.
She Fancy - Paying attention to how I present myself to my day, has been just another way I find to celebrate me. I'm almost 49, and I look damn good, so I should be proud to dress in a way that makes me feel secure, and confident. That usually means mixing a combination of thrift store chic with carefully curated items that I've acquired or created over the years. Sure I still buy things new, but I try to choose very universally wearable items that are age comfortable, still edgy, chic and cute. I don't subscribe to anyone who tries to tell me that I should or shouldn't wear something because I'm 40 anything...nope. They don't get to decide that...I have a pretty good internal compass on stuff like that, and I dress how I feel my best in. Sometimes that's jeans, or a super cute romper WITH pockets, sometimes it's an incredible pair of leggings, that absolutely do not slingshot into my crack...I can't stand seeing leggings that do that. I mean shoot why even wear them if you want your whole dunk on FULL display??I'm married with 3 kids and for me, this isn't the look I'm going for...do you boo if it is for you.
Write it Down - Journaling has been an interesting outlet for me. If you don't know this about me, I'm obsessed with pens, paper and journals. I have literally lost count on the number of specialty pens I have, and I have probably close to 70 different notebooks and journals I have collected over the years. It's border line hoardish I'm sure...but I'm old school and I like the sensation of writing things down, and the feeling of pen in my hand paper under my wrist. But heres the thing...I don't journal everyday...or every week for that matter if I'm being honest. But when I do it...it has a very real impact on my mental health, while understanding that I am Human, and I have very real emotions that I have to wade through. I like the journals that require you to do a lil extra work, like answer questions, or prompts for brainstorming. But sometimes I just need blankness staring at me, to allow me to just write what I'm feeling...and that sometimes alone is therapy.
Connection - Feeling like I belong or are part of a community is a BIG one for me. I'm understanding why this is so important to me, and I've been seeking all types of creative ways to find connection with others. Its tough to feel like celebrating yourself if you don't have connection to genuine people. This hasn't I mean...isn't easy...but I also recognize that this is another crucial piece that I cannot ignore. But also I'm a blend of introvert and extrovert...so tip
toeing into new environments and new circle of people is SCARY AS HELL to me. The feeling literally teleports me right back to high school, to that little black girl who didn't fit in at an all white school. So feeling excluded, left behind, or left out...is a real trauma that still creeps in and out...like a bad cold. So to avoid that...I usually keep to one on one interactions...and meeting with friends I already know. But because I'm embracing mature emotional intelligence, I'm realizing that I need to expand my comfort zone and branch out to meet new people and experiences. While this one is still in the mix...I am taking baby baby steps to do this more often.
So there it is my 7 ways I found to self celebrate. I mean there are other little things that didn't make the list but that's really because I don't wanna keep you. I think the point for me has been that....I'm a freakin' Gem! I've done good things, I've achieved things I set out to do, and I do what I can to serve and treat others how I can. I hope these self celebration tips helps You to see you're a freaking Gem too! I'm sure if there is something right now that isn't awesome...there is a way to fix or troubleshoot your way to a solution. I hope you find what you're looking for! Leave me a comment if you'd like a sounding board...I'd love that!