I went back and forth on writing this blog because I was afraid it would come off as weak or somehow question my dedication, but the more I thought about it the more I realized I was the exact opposite of those negative portrayals. The truth is, I'm currently stronger and more focused than I've ever been as a result of the hard work I've devoted to my own growth and development over the past several years.
Over the past few weeks, there's been a lot of change and a lot of moving parts at work. I hadn’t really thought too much about it, but then I started to recognize some of the warning signs from the past: I was reacting rather than taking the time to think and respond, I was taking things personal, I was forgetting to eat, I skipped a few workouts, and at times I even found myself unhappy. It dawned on me that all the changes and uncertainty had built up and were now beginning to manifest as stress and altered patterns of behavior.
For many of us, making a mistake, or in my case reverting back to some old tendencies, can be a big hit to our self-confidence. Scenarios like this can weigh on your mind and bring up negative emotions and make you start to question yourself as a person or if you're actually cut out for the current endeavor. However, what I realized this week is that mistakes and set backs happen and nothing we can do will change that; life is messy and there is so much that's simply out of our control, but what really matters is how we process and move forward from our mistakes and setbacks. The way I see it, we have two options: we can allow the event to win and let all our hard work go to waste, or we can be accepting of the event, give ourselves permission to make mistakes, and positively move forward.
While recovering from a mistake or setback can take time, the quicker we accept it and allow ourselves to move on, the better we'll ultimately be. For me, this week was about acknowledging that not only was I able to recognize the signs of former negative behaviors, but I was also able to take the necessary steps to turn things around in a more positive direction. In my opinion, this is the truest form of selfcare.
What's important for us to realize is that life is not about being perfect; life is a journey with numerous ups and downs that we must recognize, accept, and move on from. By allowing ourselves to move on, we release negativity, release negative self talk, and most importantly, find a way to move forward.
