The Best Investment You Can Make

Just doing a check in here - how's everyone doing? I know it's a scary, unsettled time, and we're all at some stage of feelings. Not everyone will feel the same as you do - and that, my friends is okay! It doesn't mean those around you don't understand or don't want to hear about how you're feeling. It means we are all navigating this the best we know how with the information we are given. 

When this started 10 weeks ago, I thought it would be a month long, max. I had high hopes that this was going to blow over because it was going to be contained as soon as humanly possible. Fast forward to right now and I am dead wrong. I had to process that feeling 4 weeks ago, when we were starting week 6. It was certainly not the easiest emotional journey to go through, and there were plenty of nights where I cried myself to sleep because I missed my old life. The life that would allow me to visit with friends and family without judgement from people on social media as well as free from guilt because of the magnitude of this mess. The life that allowed me to stay busy AF so I didn't have to work through old wounds I've been avoiding. The life where I didn't have to wear a mask to be around people. The life before Covid. 

It was a rollercoaster for a long time. I have not checked in on all my friends individually, and carry a lot of guilt for that. I tried to be as connected as possible at first, because I am someone who thrives on human interaction. But I have noticed my need to be connected all the time dwindling. I am enjoying the quiet time, the alone time to process and heal. Zoom fatigue is SO real y'all. I thought it was great in the beginning, but now I dread it. I cannot sit on another call for a while - because my brain just wants to be creative and explore rather than fall back into the habit where I complain about how this isn't fair. I am making it a point to connect with everyone in my life over the next few weeks. How that looks, I am not entirely sure yet. It may be texts, FaceTime calls, Facebook messages, Marco Polo videos (if you don't use this app - it's super fun. It's essentially sending video messages back and forth. It's nice to see someone when you hear their voice!), and whatever else I can come up with to communicate with those I love the most. 

Our society will now have a pre-Covid and post-Covid life, whether or not we've contracted the virus. This is our new reality. What we used to do may not come back, and if it does, end up extremely restricted. We don't know what life will be like or when we can rejoin society together (unless you're a state that's just opened the flood gates and hoped for the best..), so instead of crying over the past and panicking about the future, I have a proposition for you.

What if you used this time to heal your old wounds? What if you used this time to develop a new hobby or craft? What if you reconnected with some things you used to love to do, but life got too busy so you gave them up? 

What if you worked on you? 

This time has been gifted to us to slow down and reset. Investing time into bettering ourselves allows us to come out of this quarantine stronger than ever, so we can live life as our best selves and have our best life in front of us. 

I know this can come off as some hippy nonsense, but when was the last time you allowed yourself to dream, to manifest the life you want? When was the last time you put yourself first and invested time (and money.. but we will get to this) into your personal growth? 

There are SO many resources out there for FREE that can assist you with navigating this idea of "self care" and "personal growth". I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but self care isn't always about the spa days, or the biweekly manicures and pedicures, or getting your hair done. It's how you take care of yourself. How you speak to yourself. How you fuel your body. What you drink on a daily basis. What you consume from the media and social media. How are you taking care of yourself? 

There are a few resources that I have explored over the last 8 weeks that I think would help anyone immensely. Rachel Hollis (Girl, Wash Your Face & Girl Stop Apologizing author... holy inspiring!) and her husband are running a FREE course called the #Next90Challenge. There are weekly videos along with PDF files that allow you to navigate this crazy time. Some of it is a sucker punch to the gut - the things we know we need to hear but don't necessarily want to. I love her and her spirit! So that's one resource I've tapped into weekly to keep my brain operating on the positive path and not sliding down a very slippery, miserable slope. 

Another resource I've come across is the 30 Day Growth Plan with John C. Maxwell. If you don't know who John Maxwell is... please do some research. He is an incredible human with an unwavering spirit. He actually mentor's Rachel Hollis, and spoke at her virtual conference a few weeks back. I have been a big fan of his since I started in network marketing 7 years ago. He really touches on things you think about all the time, but frames it so you see it in a different light. So gifted! There are budget friendly courses you can take with him, but this one happens to be free - so why not?! 

As always, books are a great resource too. I have piles of personal development/growth books and pick from them when I need the inspiration to go out there and kick ass. If you have questions, or want to borrow a book to two (and you're local) I am happy to share! Keeping this stuff to myself doesn't help anyone! 

Over the next week, take a look at how you treat yourself and what you consume (orally and mentally). Shift your focus to taking care of yourself instead of those around you - and you just might find you start to feel better. Start looking for things to improve this time, rather than sit in the suck. You WILL feel better!