A Life Lesson I'm Learning to Treasure

You, like me, might have the habit of giving yourself a hard time. Especially when it comes to all the things you haven't done yet. On the flip side, you might totally ignore the things you are doing by not giving yourself any credit, praise, or celebration.

If that’s where you’re at, I’m right there with you!

Nothing is quite like the deep inner-soul glow of making progress on goals that matter to you. How does your soul know you're making progress? Because you tell it so!

But with the busy nature of life — and the fact that those bottles of ginkgo balboa definitely did nothing; you still can't remember where you left that freaking letter — it’s all too easy to blow past acknowledging your progress.

Which brings us to my current Soulfull Mission: improve in the Acknowledging Yourself Department.

The most recent attempt? After a grueling two-hour Peloton ride, I acknowledged my win with a sincere, "I'm proud of you, Sue."

Yup, I talked to myself. Out loud. With love. (It was a strange new occurrence in my life.)

But guess what? It felt good! Really good!

Even to the point of making me a little teary-eyed. It was as if a new voice was in my head, putting an arm around my shoulders and gently inquiring, "Hey, you rockstar, why haven't you realized how freakin' awesome you are sooner?!”

Hearing a voice in your head that believes in you is a game-changer.

So, what does 'giving yourself credit' actually look like in midlife? Maybe it's not about getting a gold star on a sticker chart, but more about embracing a kinder inner voice that cheers you on daily, even when you can't remember where you left your car keys... again.

A while back, I spent nearly a year training to cycle up Mt. Washington — an epic 7.6-mile, 4,000-foot ascent that would challenge me to my core — and I did it without acknowledging my hard work, perseverance, or effort.

What I did do while prepping for the big event was envision myself crossing the finish line, falling into the arms of my cheering husband 🥹 — who’d also done the ride and crushed his personal cycling record just minutes before.

But Mother Nature had a different plan. 🤪

Just before the race was scheduled to start, hurricane-force winds canceled the event! So instead of proving our life force could crush long-awaited goals, we paid homage to the great mountain from below. 😫

Heading home without even getting the chance to take that final test felt so deflating.

And YES, I wanted to focus on the journey, not the destination… so, though it wasn’t easy, I eventually started focusing on what mattered: sculpting body, mind, and soul to even reach that starting line.

How can you remember you’re a total rockstar, when you can't even remember where you left your car keys... again?

Here are some easy tips to honor your awesomeness, Mama:

G I V E   Y O U R S E L F   C R E D I T

❥  Speak the truth of how awesome you're doing, especially when you don't feel awesome.

❥  Give yourself two minutes a day to write down at least three things you're proud of yourself for today.

❥  Plan on ways to celebrate your wins, place that list somewhere you see it often, then refer to it when it's time to honor your incredible, one-of-a-kind mama effort! 

❥  Tag in a friend, "Hey, I've been having a tough time acknowledging [all the great things I do/my progress on x project]. What do you think about getting together for a celebration brunch? We could honor our efforts and acknowledge each others awesomeness!"

Now, as part of training for Mt. Washington (take two!), I'm celebrating way more, honoring my efforts, and giving myself some serious creds along the way!

Because no matter what happens on that mountain (or at the bottom of it 😅), I’m having a soulfull time getting there.

xo,


P.S. The real win from Mt. Washington take one? A text from my daughter on race day reminding me that showing up, even when you’re scared, is a victory in itself. Now, there's a wise soul! 😉