Let’s be vulnerable. 

This morning, my mind was racing with thoughts. I said, “Stop for a second. What are you actually feeling?”

So, I quieted my mind…and said, let’s just see what’s going on here for a moment. I allowed myself to be honest with myself about my emotions. Without judgment. And a few minutes later, no I did not leap from the sheets feeling 100 times better. But….I did feel really good about the fact that I didn’t try to talk myself out of what I was actually feeling – which admittedly was some sadness. A little bit of awkwardness. And a side of lingering grief.

All valid and I allowed myself to feel it all without judgment.

It’s okay to acknowledge that you’re not okay. You don’t have to press on with extreme gratitude all the time.

You can feel a myriad of emotions – lonely, hopeless, overwhelmed, anxious, and everything in between.

Just know that it’s okay to feel your feelings. Even the sad and confusing ones. Feeling your feelings (and acknowledging they exist) does not make them fact. And it for sure doesn’t make you an ungrateful person. It means you are allowing yourself permission to feel what you actually feel instead of bypassing those emotions so that you don’t make others uncomfortable.

In those moments, you get to be soft with yourself and let yourself feel whatever is coming up.

Giving yourself radical levels of compassion for what you’re feeling can be disorienting when you’ve been conditioned for years to tuck away those feelings for the comfort of others. Try it anyway.

Let’s face it…we’ve all been socialized to gloss over our feelings at times for the sake of others. We tell ourselves, “Try to be cheerful and grateful for once.” “Don’t let others see you struggle.” “When someone asks you how you’re doing, just say – fine, thanks.”

So no wonder when we actually want to slow down and be honest and curious with ourselves, it can feel errr…..not so fun! Downright wrong at times.

But giving ourselves massive loads of compassion for what we’re feeling is the best gift we can give ourselves. Because the pressure to be all things to everyone else except ourselves is heavy. And it does one hell of a number on your nervous system.

So suspend your judgment for a second of how you SHOULD be feeling and allow yourself to feel into how you REALLY feel in this moment. Because… You deserve a life that allows for honesty with where you are – no expectations. You deserve to feel how you are actually feeling – and recognize that it will pass eventually. You deserve a path forward in your life that centers your ENOUGHNESS and offers a path forward that feels like you are finally coming back to yourself.

In sharing this, I hope you find solace in knowing that vulnerability isn’t weakness; it’s a courageous act of self-love and acceptance. And if you’re struggling, remember, you’re not alone. We’re all navigating this journey together.