June 19, 2024

 

Once you begin the journey inward, you will discover many opportunities for change. Six months into my journey, I have discovered an opportunity to grow in every area of my life. If I am not careful to manage my expectations for growth, I could be pushed to paralysis. So this year, I am unpacking the need for change through reflection. 

 

As a result, I have decided to focus my efforts by taking on a little change at a time. Today, I am committing to letting something take root!

 

As a first step, I decided to review all of my reflections and determine what opportunities for change were reflected. By the end of the third month, I had filled a page. 

 

Broadly, there were things like “change how I see myself” so I listed steps I could take like change my hairstyle, update my wardrobe, get a new headshot, change my purse, or change how I receive compliments. I also noted things like update my resume, redo my bio, identify my brand, list and live my values, and change my self talk. 

 

Other opportunities that manifested were things like maintaining healthy relationships, boundaries and expectations. As I unpacked what this declaration meant every relationship in my life was under consideration. 

 

It compelled me to revisit so many fundamental aspects of my life like what is friendship, how can I be a good adult daughter and the mother of adult children, and from where my principles for marriage come.

Even more profound, I began exploring my expectations for myself. I asked myself why I don’t defend myself sometimes and why I so readily defend others. The complexity of not standing up for myself while always taking a stand for justice made me unpack whether I believed I was worthy. It also compelled me to consider how effective I could be at love without self-love.

 

By the time I reviewed my first quarter of reflections, I had to stop and breathe. I thought to myself, I could easily birth a new person at the end of this year of reflection. 

 

Was I ready for the labor that would entail?

 

After much thought, I have decided to let something take root. 

 

Instead of trying to change something every time something comes up, I am changing one thing at a time, during a quarter, for this year. 

 

I am giving myself the time to understand my “why” and choose “how” I want to proceed. Most importantly, I am giving myself the practice and grace I need to see “what” works. 

 

I am letting this powerful transformation take root!