I Was Ready for Anything that Might Come - episode 169
What if you’re bad at change? What if it’s hard for you? Well if you’re Micah Burog, you lean into your people where you feel safe and can get the support you need. Cuz change can be hard, even painful, yet sometimes it can be filled with joy and excitement. Like choosing to say yes to getting married. That’s where Micah is at with a big marital pivot coming up.
We’re learning from our guests that a pivot takes some work, some strategizing. Also the acceptance that this change may likely prepare you for something coming your way that isn’t quite here yet. That was an insight Micah had. All that she’s been through prepared her for right now. She couldn’t be happier, and it was well worth the work and the wait. She had a hunch, and she was right.
Micah is a friend of the show and can be heard on the following episodes: Pouring is an Action Word and Am I Making a Difference?.
Keep practicing the things you love.
— Micah Burog, advice to her 10-year old self
Get into the Sweet Spot
Thoughts from I Was Ready for Anything that Might Come
Do you love yourself? It’s a strange question, I know. I think if we ask ourselves we would probably say Yes, of course. Or we might pause and then wonder what that even looked like. What does it look like? I think there are two extremes that are far too prevalent right now. One is self-love that is anything but healthy. It is grandiose, arrogant, entitled, all those words that make me scrunch up my nose as I write this. As in, yuck.
The other is a very low level of self-love in danger of being well, dangerous. This is equally unhealthy simply in a different extreme. This is manifested by insecurity, the comparison trap, not believing in oneself, not feeling good enough, pretense, etc. You get the idea. You may be in this place or may know people who are. It’s something that can come and go. Obviously the idea is for it to be minimized and if it’s not fleeting, these people are stuck.
We are missing the sweet spot of being in the middle of these two extremes if we’re not careful, if we’re not intentional. I suggest practicing three different ways to love yourself:
1) Understand - How well do you know yourself, really? Do you know your strengths, your challenges, the kind of personality you have? Information is power and knowing yourself is no exception. You want a full life or do you want to just get by? Here are a few ways to get started: The Enneagram is a tool to better understand your personality. Your were born with the beginnings of one and nurture sealed the deal, one way or another. We also like 16 Personalities to get a better idea of how you show up in the world.
2) Take Care - You’ve heard it many times before and that’s because it’s sooooo important. Eat well, get your rest, move your body and stimulate your mind. You get the one body so make the most of it by nurturing and cherishing the one you have. Do not put this as the very last thing on your list because all of the people, and the tasks you have on that list, will not get the very best of you. And neither will you. Don’t you matter? And doesn’t the quality of your life matter?
3) Enjoy - We all have things that must be done each day, of course. Within that day did you do something you took pleasure in? And if not, why not? Find out the things you like to do and do them! Even if you have to schedule it as an item on your to-do list, do it. It doesn’t have to take a ton of time either. If I were to ask you to list 10 things you enjoy, would you be able to do so easily? How often are you doing them? Make sure you savor the joy life has to offer by doing the things that make you smile merely at the thought of them.
I know these concepts are hardly new. Yet when I look around I see people missing out on one or more of these, myself included. There is a richness life has to offer and I don’t want to miss out. I don’t want you to either. Honestly, Unabashed You was created to help inspire you to step into the fullness of you, with confidence, so that you can be who you are, and do the thing only you can do. Go ahead, and get into the sweet spot.
Savor the joy life has to offer by doing the things that make you smile merely at the thought of them.
— RCN
One smile for me is my monthly dinner with Julieta here having an occasional martini - this one is chocolate mint.
