Hey There, Rule-Breaking Friends,
I’m so happy that you are here! I know this time of year things start to pick up and get busy after the long winter nights. I want to invite you to take a few moments and ask yourself this question: How am I practicing compassion towards myself today?
It has been a very busy season for me with my new job, and I realized today how much I needed to simply stop and remind myself to be kind to ME. Here are three ways that I have decided to practice self-compassion this week:
I am empathizing with myself. I am recognizing that this is a new season where I am learning the ropes at a new job. There are some familiar parts of this new job, but there are also a tremendous amount of new things to learn: new rules and regulations, new expectations, new leadership and culture, new personalities and ways of working with others, and loads more.
In this new role, I find myself having to shift gears a lot (and quickly). I have to manage several, very different projects at once which can feel overwhelming when I get in a hurry. All this new requires extra, intentional grace. One way I am showing myself compassion is by allowing this newness to be what it is—new. Newness means learning. It is normal to need time to learn and adjust to new norms. I show myself kindness and love when I take the time to empathize with myself as I adjust accordingly.
I am honoring my body and mind by allowing them needed rest. I do not have the time or energy needed to finish the blog post that I had intended to send out last week…then, again, this week. Showing compassion to myself means letting go of that particular expectation I placed on myself and recognizing that I will probably not have it ready next week either. And that is okay. The world still turns. You’ll probably hear from me again in a couple of weeks because we’re headed out of town next week for some family fun (woot-woot!). Thank you for understanding.
I am celebrating my 40th year of life instead of joining in the more familiar groanings that people typically expect. The Rulebook wants me to be scared of that number. It wants me to hide my age. Instead, I am celebrating! Living is pretty damn hard sometimes, but we have made it this far! That is something to celebrate. I am choosing to celebrate the past 40 years and embrace the next 40, too.
P.S. Yes, you are allowed to celebrate yourself despite what The Rulebook says.
Appreciate this, and love what you say about letting new things just be new. Congrats on 40!!