Because I Am

Posted in Inspire Someone by

Fill in the blank: Kind. Funny. Smart. Determined. Worthy. This coming Monday March 8th will mark International Women’s Day. How will you celebrate? I’ll be giving thanks to the amazing women in my life but I will also be celebrating me. In 2015, I wrote a short post dedicated to this day. I answered the age-old question, if you could tell your younger self anything, what would you say? Reflecting back on that post made me realize my ‘younger self’ encompassed so many stages of life that one general advice across the ages would not always be applicable. I thought it would be fitting to give advice to myself at each major intersection of my journey thus far.

Dear Child-Me: I know it seems like you will be stuck in this phase forever, but you won’t be. You will grow and you will learn from your adversities. In fact, you will even come to appreciate them. The struggles you are enduring will provide you with lifelong perspective and an unfailing sense of confidence that everything will be okay. No matter what happens, you will be able to get through anything thrown at you because early in your life you learned there was no other option but to succeed. And with time, you will redefine what ‘success’ means to you.

single girlDear Single-Me: You have experienced your share of heartbreak. You’ve battled loneliness while everyone around you coupled up and moved on with their lives- seemingly leaving you behind. I encourage you to look at your life like a winding path. The distance, on that winding path, between you and your missing piece may be further compared to others, and streaked with distracting detours along the way but know that you will eventually get there. Instead of waiting around- use this time to rediscover your wants, likes, and interests. Get to know yourself again, learn a new skill, revisit an old passion, do something you’ve always been scared to do, dive into different experiences, and engage in new friendships. At the end of the day, happiness is a personal journey, and it is whatever you make it to be.

marriageDear Married-Me: So, you’ve finally found him- your soul person. You will laugh like you’ve never laughed before, but you will also cry like you’ve never cried. It won’t always be rainbows and unicorns; there will be natural highs and varying lows. Remember to relish the good times and stay positive through the storms. As often as humanly possible, communicate your wishes and concerns, and get on the same page.

Dear Mama-Me: You’ve got this motherhood thing! Yes- it is an undertaking of a lifetime and it can be terrifying, but trust that you’ve got this. Also, just because it is everything you’ve ever dreamed of, have ever wanted, doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to have a bad day. Give yourself permission to take a breather, accept all of your imperfections, grant yourself a break, hide in that bathroom for a couple minutes longer, eat that last piece of banana bread without sharing, ignore the tenth “mama!?” of the day, and forgive yourself often. You cannot possibly do everything all the time.

So, if you could tell your younger self anything, what would you say? See you in the comments!

 
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23 thoughts on “Because I Am”

  1. Love this post! Especially the letter to child you. “And with time, you will redefine what ‘success’ means to you.” This is so true. Definitely going to take inspiration from this post and do something similar for Women’s day. 😊

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  3. This is so lovely! I love the thoughtfulness and honesty of the advice to your younger self. ❤ I think I would tell my younger self that it's okay to speak up and have an opinion, that I will always be my own biggest critic (and memories of mistakes fade quickly), and to trust myself fully everything will fall into place in due time (sometimes amazing things take time, and true love and a great career are worth the wait). Thank you for this post! It's so inspiring and uplifting! 😊

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    • Aww thanks so much for taking the time to leave a thoughtful comment! Always appreciate it!! It was actually very cathartic to do, to recognize those struggles and to acknowledge that I had made it through them! ❤️

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    • Thanks Deb! Yes, that’s a good one! I’ve always resisted change but when we reflect back on change, it usually ushers in better things (most of the time I guess, the rest of the time you have to look for the silver lining)! 😊

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  6. Those are truly beautiful letters to your younger selves!! I was interested by your letter to single-you. Because I’m single, and this is what I’d want to hear from future-me: “Dear Meg, oh honey, you’ve found a totally wonderful guy! You’ll be so happy with him in the future! Rock it!” And I’d be like, YES! Here’s to the future! But you were more… enigmatic with single-you. I admire that! Leave her wondering. [Thumbs-up.]

    Hmm….

    Dear Child-Me: Just survive it and then get the freak out! You’re surrounded by insane people, and none of them care as they should (sorry, but it’s true), but someday–and I’m not making this up–you’ll be surrounded by loving and caring friends who are always there for you. It’ll be totally worth the wait!! YAY!

    Oh hey, my bad-hair-day photo is over on your page! HA HA HA! YAY! That’s a neat widget (I think that’s the word)!

    Fun blog post!

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  7. Great post! I’m not a woman, but I am a supporter of women and equal rights. I think it is pathetic that women are not represented more in positions of power and authority. How is it possible that a so-called “advanced society” can not have had a female President yet? I understand change takes time, but this isn’t rocket science.

    As far as the different life stages, the one change I’ve come to embrace (far too late, but at least I eventually got there) is the attitude of not letting new experiences hold me back. Life is about taking some chances and risks. It doesn’t mean to through caution to the wind with stupid and reckless behavior, but it does mean having the courage to not worry about making a fool of oneself. There are only so many days in our lives. We don’t know when they may end. I’m going to make them count and go for it while I’m still here.

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