monday morning mindfulness: practicing authenticity
I am so thankful for this online community & I want to be a little more intentional about chatting about things, encouraging one another, & reminding each other that many of us are probably feeling similar things, or have at different times. These monday morning mindfulness posts are going to be little glimpses into my heart & life: the good, the bad & the ugly. So much can be learned from different experiences, especially when you are practicing mindfulness.
With all of that being said, today’s topic is: practicing authenticity.
Last week I read Brené Brown’s book, The Gifts of Imperfection. I have always been a really big fan of hers. She started out as a social work professor & is now widely known throughout the United States for the work that she’s done in the helping profession. I don’t think I had a single college class (for my undergraduate degree in social work OR my graduate degree in school counseling) that didn’t mention her at some point. She’s kind of a big deal in our world! I knew I would love her book & that it would hit me in all the right places, just like many of her TedTalks have. About halfway through the book, she has a chapter talking about practicing authenticity. It seems like an easy concept, but she dives really deep into what makes us who we are, & how to fully own it. The following sentence really stood out to me & I know it’s because of some of the life changes I made this past year:
When I let go of trying to be everything to everyone, I had much more time, attention, love, and connection for the important people in my life.
In high school, my mom was my cheer coach. It was (& still is) a really sweet part of our bond that we share. A couple of months into my first year as a school counselor, I was asked to step in & help coach my new school’s squad. This felt like one of my lifelong dreams practically landing itself in my lap! I quickly said yes & was so eager to meet the new girls & encourage school spirit together.
I ended up coaching for two & a half years before deciding to take a step back. & let me just say, the word “decide” does not even kind of start to explain the mental turmoil that I went through making this decision — hours upon hours of crying & talking it through & justifying. At the end of the day, that’s what it came down to… justifying. I was flat out exhausted. I had had a really rough winter that truly broke me. I had to build myself back up slowly, starting with a foundation of identifying what was truly important to me. That was when I decided to get Piper (best decision ever!!!!!) & was also when I decided to turn in my resignation as the cheer coach.
You know what I realized during this whole situation? Dreams change. & that’s okay! & once I finally accepted this truth & started living fully authentically, the level of peace I felt was astounding. I was able to switch my focus onto different things that bring joy in a different way. I will always love my time as the cheer coach & have precious memories of those girls on my squad (you know who you are! ;) ) But I also really love being a dog mom & having lots (& LOTS) more free time to do whatever I please (join a book club, take Piper for walks, visit friends for dinner, etc.). As difficult as coming to this life-changing decision was for me, by owning it fully, I was practicing authenticity.
