#SpeakToHer Part II: The Retreat
After the clarity, comes the action. Because when you know better you do better right?
So what do you do when you realize that you have a gift that you rarely use because of whatever hang-ups you collected along your life's journey? How do you navigate that time between the initial realization that you could be more and the time in your life where you have not only accepted it, but fully utilize that gift? Seriously.
Part II of this is a little bit scary because it is the part that is still being written. I am still learning how to balance the in between time. It's almost as if I made a step by step guide that looks something like:
Find your strengths
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…
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Success!
There are so many stages that I know are ahead of me that I can't see or even conceptualize right now. I met a woman 2 weeks ago and she told me that you have to just be appreciative of the transitional periods in your life. They are unique in that they are not defined, so you can make anything of them. They can be times of rest, foundation building, truly whatever you will need to make the next stage that much more impactful.
How do you know what kind of transitional period you're in? You need to do a self check-in. I like to start my mornings with a prayer and then I meditate to allow my mind to rest in knowing that my prayer has been heard. Then I prepare for the day ahead of me. Even though this helps me immensely, I don't do it every single day. Why is that? Worry sinks in. I allow obligations to filter into my brain and stay there as soon as I wake up. Most days, I don't allow my body to fully rest. Some days I pick up my phone and see what I've missed since I closed my eyes. There are so many factors, but none of them sum up to a valid enough reason as to why I don't honor that quiet time. How do I make it up to myself? I take my outside influences out of the equation. I go to a nearly empty beach in the morning. I put my phone on airplane mode. I leave my notebook open to my intention page & I listen to the melodic rhythm of the ocean. But sometimes, I need more.
I know that sometimes we all need just a little more time to be with ourselves.
Being able to retreat, then come back to yourself after that rest, is so important to healing and feeling whole. It allows us to be more present for ourselves and our goals. It allows us to be better for the people we keep around us. As I opened up myself more, I knew that I wanted to create the space for other women to do what I know I desperately needed to do. When I decided to plan the retreat that I hosted at the beginning of this year, I was realizing that my friends needed a time away from their lives as much as I did. So I asked them to join me in the desert. You can see the story here.
So how does this relate to #SpeakToHer? Well, the purpose of the #SpeakToHer photo series was to relay the message that we as women need to give ourselves the comfort/love/insight that we give to others. But when do you even find time to recognize that it is time to deeply reflect? You have to make it. As often as I try to give myself the necessary time to meditate, I know that I need to give myself more of that. I know I am not alone in that.
March 2020, I will be hosting my second retreat because the energy of being surrounded by women who have the same intention to just be still, is unmatched. I want to continue to create spaces for us to reflect, heal and become.
More details are coming and I can't wait to have you join us!
E
“I want to continue to create spaces for us to reflect, heal and become.”