This includes your greatest joys (embrace them).
And your greatest pains (keep attending to them).
Remember this as you gracefully move forward throughout your day and into your new year.
I help busy people do inner work.
This includes your greatest joys (embrace them).
And your greatest pains (keep attending to them).
Remember this as you gracefully move forward throughout your day and into your new year.
Everything you’re carrying… you’ve picked up.
Maybe put some of that down before the New Year, eh?
Achieving goals—moving forward—becomes a heck of a lot easier when you’re traveling light.
Trust the whispers of the body.
Question the yells of the mind.
Your body might whisper “sore legs” to which your mind might amplify to “TAKING THE WEEK OFF FROM EXERCISE!” Question the mind:“Is that really what sore legs means?” Listen to the body: “Sore legs—noted. Light stretching and upper body it is then.”
Before a public speech your mind might yell, “DANGER! RED ALERT! RUN!” while your body might be whispering, “you’re ready for this… you know this topic… stay calm.”
Or, after a hard breakup, your mind might be saying “GOOD RIDDANCE! WE DIDN’T NEED THEM! THEIR LOSS!” while your body might whisper, “that hurt.”
You see, the mind is in the business of seeking pleasure and avoiding pain which usually means staying inside of the comfort zone and fabricating situations to make them more—comfortable. But, that’s not what the body needs.
What the body needs is for the mind to respond properly to its signals; for the pain to be confronted, felt, and expressed; for the emotions and trauma to be seen and heard.
It needs for the mind to be a compassionate ear—an ally. Not a lazy megaphone that operates as an independent.
Hustle without mental health is self-hate.
Did that feel too aggressive?
If it did, then I’m speaking to you.
Because anyone who argues in favor of hustle at the expense of mental health is arguing for what exactly?
And how exactly does any of that help with hustle?
It doesn’t.
More importantly, it doesn’t help anyone or anything that’s involved with that person’s life—least of all, the person themselves.
And by ignoring this—yes, they’re choosing to commit an act of self-hate. Because self-love doesn’t ignore signs/calls for help.
Take care of yourself, first. Spend time inspecting the state of your mental wellbeing. Listen to what your body is telling you—and respond.
Hustle can wait. Your mental health can’t.
First sign that you’re suppressing emotions?
“I’m fine.”
…When you’re not.
Let’s normalize saying how you *actually* feel when someone asks how you’re doing.
Don’t fake being okay.
It’s okay to not be okay.
All of your feelings are valid.
You may screw up, but you’re not a screw up.
Asking for help isn’t quitting, it’s a sign of determination.
Expressing your feelings isn’t weakening—it’s empowering.
You deserve to get help, seek support, take days off, and get better.
Comparison is a killer—do the best you can with what you have, where you are.
You are more than your anxious thoughts, your past trauma, your mistakes, your flaws and your mental illness.
Cut yourself some slack. Don’t rush the process of healing. It’s okay to have off, unproductive, emotional days. It’s okay to rest.
You are not alone and you don’t have to fight your battles alone. There are people, just like you, who are seeking connection and support.
Always choose love and kindness—for others and especially for yourself.
My aunt on a grumpy hotel employee:
“Maybe he was just having a bad day. Maybe he had to poop and he couldn’t. You just don’t know.”
My new life philosophy for grumpy people.