5 Things You Love About YOU

February spells one thing... L-O-V-E! When was the last time that you took some time to list a few things that you truly, abundantly and unapologetically love about yourself?

So, let's play a game.

I want you to take five pieces of paper...they can be any shape or size, it's just important that you have five of them.

Now I want you to write something on each paper that you truly love about yourself. They can be physical things, emotional things, things that you've maybe accomplished lately.

Take time to really let them sink in and choose things that mean the world to you. Here are mine!

• I love my curls. As much as I hated them growing up and as wild as they would get (to the point that my Mom chopped all of my hair to an inch long for a few years), I love them. They make me who I am and show so much versatility.
• I love that I am stubborn and challenge the world around me. I tend to not go with the grain, speak up for those who need a voice, and I really love that about myself. It shows courage, it shows determination, and while it may make others feel a bit uneasy, it makes me feel just  fine.
• I love that I cry. Ha! This may come as a surprise to some of you (if you know me well...it doesn't!) but I cry a lot, specifically at the end of races. Often when I cross that finish line, I am a puddle of tears. It's raw, and it make me vulnerable. 
• I love my thighs, or as I know them now, my quads. They are such a powerhouse and while growing up I often heard the term thunder thighs, they are pretty badass. They keep me going forward, the are slowly getting define and I see them as a pillar of strength.
• I love my tattoos! (I bet you saw that one coming!) Each one has a story and a meaning. I have one for our sweet Arrow, one for my Dad, one for Owen, another for a special friend who passed away. The Scottish gaelic word for artist, an angel fish (that badly needs to be redone) and my boys' birthdates. And yes, there will be more. Why? Because they are a part of me and they tell my story. 

So what do you love about yourself? Make it count!!

xoxo
Shannon

Let Go of the Mom Guilt

Are you holding onto some Mom Guilt right now?

It's funny; when I was growing up, I was often told by my Dad to take care of number 1 and I never really fully understood what that meant until I became a mom. I always thought that it meant sticking up for yourself, defining your own path, and to a degree not caring if what is best for you hurts other people.

Now that I'm a mom, I understand it in a totally different way.

One thing that we tell our postpartum clients is that it is important to take care of themselves. Whether that means a 15 minute break in the evening to run out for a coffee (drive-thru's were made for parents, I'm convinced!) without children in the back seat, or a hot shower at the end of a long day. Whatever it means for you, take care of yourself.

You cannot pour water into a cup from an empty pitcher, after all.

The same goes for taking care of your family. There will be sleepless nights, there will be diapers to change, there will be mouths to feed and emotions to soothe.

And if you are run ragged and are stressed and feel like you don't know who you are anymore, how can you do any of those things? How can you be expected to do any of those things?

I find that often when I fail to take care of myself it's because of mom guilt. I feel like I shouldn't be taking that time to decompress. And then, a few days later, I feel like a monster, all wrapped up in my own head because I didn't take that time. It's a rather vicious circle, really.

Take that time. You matter, and the better you are to yourself, the more you are showing those around you that you are worthy, you are valuable and that they too should be taking care of themselves in little ways.

Let the self love flow!!

xoxo
Shannon