The Importance Of Self-Compassion
The word you need to drop from your vocabulary!
Mid-life crisis or miracle in the making...
We throw the term midlife crisis around quite a bit to describe people who seem to have an abrupt change in the course of their lives. There is a negative connotation to this phrase. It is as if the person is losing their mind or has lost their way in life. The word crisis has all kinds of yucky feelings associated with it. I can say that in my own life I thought this is what was going on with me.
About 2 years ago I started to feel uneasy. I felt like something was missing. I felt trapped in my job. I was empty and confused on the inside. I had no clue what it was, but I knew that something was going to have to change. While I realized this to be the case, I was also terrified to really talk to anyone about it. I didn’t want to be one of those people who find themselves in crisis at the age of 40. So I kept plugging along. I was smiling on the outside. I was successful in my career and my family life was good. Everyone would tell me how lucky I was to have such a perfect life. I felt like I was living a lie. I was not really happy. There was this tugging in my soul telling me that something was not right. I was able to ignore it for some time, but eventually the discomfort got to a point where I had to do something, but I had no idea what. For me it became all about being unhappy in my job. That was certainly easier than digging deep into myself to find answers. Eventually, after reading books, blogs and doing lots of personal discovery, I came to understand that it was not just about my job. My mid-life crisis was really my soul, my heart, screaming at me to wake up and pay attention. Pay attention to what I was feeling, how I was treating my body and more importantly to realize that I had lost my connection with my higher power. Once I had this realization, I knew that this was not really a crisis, but a blessing. It was a miracle in the making. I woke up to a whole new perspective on life and spirituality. In this, I have learned to love myself, to care for myself and cherish the time I have here. Through taking radical action to care for myself and nurture the connection with my higher power, I have experienced radical transformation in my life. It is a miracle really. When I see pictures of myself from a few years ago, I look empty. I am smiling, but there is something missing in my eyes. They are painful to look at. When I see pictures of me now, I love them. I can see how full I am. I can see how truly happy I am deep in my soul. It feels amazing. My light is shining.
I have observed many people go through this. Thinking they are crazy. They feel silly because they are having a so-called mid-life crisis. To that I say, maybe it is not a crisis; maybe it is a miracle in the making. Wouldn’t that be so much more joyful and amazing? Maybe your heart is trying to get your attention. It has things it wants to do, needs that are not being met. Maybe it is time to turn inward and connect with yourself and your higher power, whatever that means to you. I promise you that if you care for yourself first you will have more to give to others.
“Nurture your body and soul each and every day. If you don’t, who will? When you fill yourself up, you have more to give.”
Have you been feeling this way? If so, what do you think it is about? How do you intend on handling it? Can you be gentle and patient with yourself and listen for what might really be going on? Or will you continue to plug along ignoring what is going on inside? I would love to hear your thoughts. Please leave them in the comments below.
Much love- Angie
Coming Home To Yourself
My first video blog!
The other day I was inspired to record a video (Yup, my very first Vlog!!) about coming home to yourself. I talk about feeling at home within your own body and soul regardless of the circumstances you find yourself in. Part of being comfortable in our own skin is really taking care of ourselves, being as patient and kind with ourselves as we are with those around us. I have been traveling a bunch and really getting outside of my comfort zone. This has left me realizing just how important it is to be connected with myself and what I know to be true. I hope you enjoy the video. Please leave a comment below to let me know your thoughts and feeling around coming home to yourself. Sending you all love and light. Much love - Angie
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A Life Changing Leap of Faith
Preface: I wrote this blog a couple of months ago with the intention that it would be the first blog on my website when it finally went live. Little did I know that the stars would align to allow me to share my site with the world for the very first time on the one -year anniversary of my return from Maui. That day I came home determined to live a life centered on love and purpose. I sit in awe and amazement and all that has transpired and how I have been supported through it all.
A Life Changing Leap of Faith
Life amazes me on a regular basis. As I write this, I am sitting under a palm tree, basking in the warmth of the sun. I am soaking in the amazing scenery, the smell of the ocean water and the sound of the waves crashing on the cement wall. I can’t help but ponder how much my life has changed in the last 10 months. Ten months ago I embarked on a journey. I packed up and headed to Maui to attend a retreat with 20 complete strangers. I left behind my life for one week. I signed in my phone and severed all connection with the outside world. I did this on a leap of faith.
I could not ignore the desire that I felt in my soul when I came across the ad for this retreat. At the time I did not have the money in the bank to pay for it or any idea where it would come from. But, I did it anyway! I KNEW I needed to be there. In retrospect, this one act of radical self -care literally changed the course of my life. I went to Maui lost, confused, feeling like I was stuck or like there was a piece of the puzzle missing. I emerged a week later with a newfound reverence for my body and soul. I felt clearer, more open and more awake to hearing the voice of my heart. I was less “in my head”.
I am sure you are wondering what the magic bullet was. What did they give to me that bestowed on me all of these gifts? While I will forever be grateful for my Maui family, Mastin Kipp, Jenna Hall, Jill Esplin and everyone at The Daily Love for such an amazing, transformative experience, there was no magic potion given to me. There was no fairy dust sprinkled. I was, however, provided the space, opportunity and support to cultivate a relationship with myself. Maui was probably the first time in my life that I truly made myself a priority. I gifted myself the chance to listen to my inner voice for the first time. I realized it had been there all along, whispering in the background, but I was so busy doing, that I was never just “being”.
The things my heart was suggesting seemed scary and uncertain. I would think, I couldn’t do that!! That’s crazy. My mind was all too happy to ignore it and move on with what I knew, what I was comfortable with. After my trip, I vowed, NO MORE! It was time to be all in. In the ten months since I came home I have left a job that was not serving me and gotten laid off from the job I took when I left. I fell into a new career, which is allowing me to travel and control my own schedule, while providing for my family. But most importantly, I have learned to love and care for myself as fully as I have those in my life. Following this path has led to clarity around my purpose. It has driven the creation of my business and allowed for more joy and peace in my life.
I know many who are searching for answers and feeling lost will not have the opportunity to attend a retreat like I did. It is my belief that you do not have to have such an immersive experience to cultivate a relationship with your heart. Anyone can do it with some work. Small acts of self- care can blossom into a deep sense of gratitude and connection. This is the stuff of miracles.
If it is transformation that you seek in your life, starting with really taking care of yourself and loving yourself where you are at in this moment is a perfect way to start. Take time to figure out what lights you up. Listen to that voice that is whispering to you about what you really desire. When you listen and talk to your heart and take action based on what you hear, things will shift. You will start to notice little synchronicities. You will feel more present and peaceful. Gratitude will begin to take hold. Gratitude for the gift you are giving yourself and the world. You will gift the world by shining your light and serving others in a way that only YOU can. Together we can start a self-love revolution. Imagine a world where we are all sharing our gifts with the intention of serving others. What a beautiful place it would be. Won’t you join me?
Much love- Angie