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#WednesdayWisdom
"Gentle Reminder: You are allowed to take care of yourself and be your first priority. You don’t have to wait until your struggling, exhausted or burnt out to tend to your well-being. Self-care is a prevention strategy, it is not just a crisis response." — Minaa B.
Morning Musings
To quote British R&B singer Ella Mai, "Feelings, so deep in my feelings." I don't know if it's Mercury retrograde or last week's solar eclipse, but ya girl has been going THROUGH it.
But in non-typical LT fashion, this time I decided to sit with my feelings instead of pushing past them in the form of working (too much) and/or working out (too hard).
Last Wednesday, I attended Jamila Reddy's workshop with the Shine app about navigating change with mindfulness and compassion, which admittedly is something I'm actively working on. Change is inevitable, yes, but it's also hard. Or at least it is for me (and I suspect the same may be true for some of my fellow anxiety-ridden peeps).
During the workshop, Jamila encouraged us to extend ourselves grace, which is easy to do in theory but quite challenging in practice. To start, she suggested we ask ourselves the following question: "This is really difficult right now, how can I comfort and care for myself in this moment?"
Simply pausing to ask myself what I needed provided some clarity. After the workshop, I pulled up a sad yoga flow by my favorite Peloton instructor, Chelsea Jackson Roberts. Recently, Peloton released a series of classes to take based on your mood. I was saving the sad one for a rainy day and voila, here was my opportunity to put my newfound learnings into practice.
So I literally sat in my sadness and ... it was wonderful. It was cathartic. It was everything my body, mind and soul needed in that moment.
"When feelings are expressed, they change," Jamila said. And she was right. As an Enneagram 3, I have a tough time verbalizing my feelings, which is why I've become quite fond of the Feelings Wheel as recommended by my therapist.
The next time an uncomfortable feeling arises in you, I encourage you to push back against your instinct to push through and sit with your feelings, ask yourself what you need and then do that. You Future Self will thank you.
Love,
L'Oreal
ICYMI
I've been following comedian Quinta Brunson since her "He got money!" days and what a joyride it has been, which is why I was absolutely delighted to interview her in my latest for Shondaland.
LT in the City Book Club
Y'all, WE DID IT! Thank you so much to everyone who registered and attended the inaugural LT in the City Book Club meeting last week. We discussed Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab and had a great conversation (so much so that I forgot to take a screenshot of us with our books — next time)!
Speaking of next time, be sure to stay tuned for our fall pick and meeting date. Details to come. Until then, happy reading!
Links I Love
1. Is Juneteenth for Everybody? (The Remix)
2. Oluwatoyin Salau Was A Bright Light (Girls United)
3. Simone Biles Finds Her Balance (Glamour)
My Latest Obsession
Lately I've been listening to Spotify's Energy Booster R&B playlist, which includes my faves—Beyoncé and Destiny's Child among others. Great for cleaning the house and staying awake during road trips!
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Thank You!
Thank you Maryse and Catilin for buying this week's coffee!
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