Do you ever have those Aha moments, where you're lost in thought and suddenly an idea hits you like a bolt of lightning?
That's why you're here today.
This wouldn't exist without one of those moments.
I've always had a passion for writing, but sometimes it's just damn hard to sit down and let my soul bleed from my fingertips onto a blank page.
Writing, to me, evokes a feeling of walking around naked in a very judgmental world, all the time. I found it was easier to tamp down the desire to create rather than expose myself, no matter how much my heart and soul pushed against that resistance. My head always won.
But one day, after a particularly bad day at work, I found myself lost in thought, wishing that for once, I could do something different. That I could make a difference. And that I could do it without fear of judgement because I knew it was purposeful and authentic. I was listening to a video on YouTube while I drove, and I heard the woman talking use the phrase 'live your soul'. I wish I could remember who said it because all the credit to the person who singlehandedly gave me direction!
The phrase made sense to me in such a profound way, and after a quick search, I learned the phrase, 'live your soul, not your role'.
I don't know how better to describe the meaning of this, other than to state the disappointing truth:
We live in a world where we're consistently told not to love ourselves the way we are, in our own skin.
We're told to fall in love a certain way.
To work under strict guidelines and expectations.
To shrink ourselves to fit into someone else's vision of 'how things should be'.
To stay silent when we need to scream.
To follow when we're meant to lead.
To stay when we absolutely must go.
Why do we do these things to ourselves?
It's simple.
We need to learn to love ourselves enough to rise above the roles this world has seemingly enforced upon us without question.
Think about a time when you've lost yourself in an activity you enjoy. When time stopped because of the person you were with. When your heart swelled close to bursting from your chest.
Something that saddens me is that most likely, we can easily call forth one of these memories because we only allow ourselves to experience them once in a while. We go through each day like robots, wake up, work, watch TV, go to sleep, then wake up and do it all over again, every day. Routines vary, but how often can you say you find moments of joy in each day? What would it be like to feel pure joy and love more often than we experience monotony, fear, and doubt?
How would you feel if you loved yourself enough to learn to live your soul's calling?
Talk about a bolt of lightning!
It took me about a month to set up my site, figure out legalities, and get going.
It's definitely not perfect, but nothing worth doing ever begins perfectly.
The important part is that it begins at all.
I still have ups and downs, chunks of time where I can't get enough out of my head to come here and talk to you, but I, too, have been living under the thumb of those who believe they know me better than I know myself.
It takes a lot to squirm out of that grip.
I wanted to create a space where I talk to people about learning to love themselves because wow! That's a hard thing to do sometimes. We can all use a friend in our corner; someone we can relate to. I hope I'm that person for you!
This is one of my favorite places to be, and even if I don't always say the right thing, I know I'm showing up with purpose and authenticity, happy to share love. Love isn't earned; it is freely given, and we all deserve to bask in its glow.
You are all welcome here, no matter which season of life you're in. #teamselflove all around!
If you were living your soul's true calling, what would your days look like? I would love to hear your thoughts!