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13 Lessons I Learned to Live a Life of Fulfillment

September 25, 2019 by Kelly Nash Leave a Comment

“With age comes wisdom.” ~Oscar Wilde 

I view my life as my education and my experiences as my teacher. So while some may complain about getting older, I embrace it. I recently turned 31 and since my birthday, I’ve been thinking about how much I’ve grown and expanded my view on life these last few years, but especially as I’ve moved into my 30s. 

Your 20s are such a pivotal time to figure out what you want out of life and who you want in it, but I’m learning your 30s are when you really get to a point of self-awareness and self-reflection. I’m learning more about who I am as a person and how I want to live my life through experiences that I’m both exposed to and seek out more than ever before. Age and wisdom may not go hand in hand for everyone, but it has for me.

When I was reflecting the other day, I realized there were some key things that have gotten me to where I am today in living a life of fulfillment. I couldn’t wait to share them with you to see if you relate or find them helpful in any way. Find out what they are below!

Lessons Learned to Live a Life of Fulfillment Pinterest Pin

Your happiness lies in your hands 

I used to base my happiness on how happy I could make others. I was a people pleaser to my core. What I found from that though was that I was putting everyone before myself and I wasn’t truly happy with how I was living my life or who I was becoming. The moment I decided to take charge of my happiness was the moment I truly started becoming who I was meant to be all along.

Only you can control how happy you are in your life. If you’re unhappy in your job, look for another one. If you’re unhappy in a relationship, walk away. If you’re unhappy with how you look and feel, change your habits. If you’re unhappy with a situation, speak up. And if you’re unhappy period, seek out an expert or a good friend for advice. You have a choice.

And the choice is simple but the work to push through that choice is hard. But I promise you the work is always worth it – because your happiness and a life of fulfillment is waiting on the other side. Find out some ways you can achieve your ideal happy here. 

Someone’s negative words and reactions likely have nothing to do with you

No matter what you do in life, someone will always find a way to say or think something negative about you. You can’t please them all! I used to try to change people’s perceptions of me when they’d belittle me or say hurtful things, but I realized that was wasted energy. As Rachel Hollis always says, what someone thinks about you is none of your business. And when it comes down to it, those people’s negative words and actions are often a reflection on themselves – and have nothing to do with you. Hurt people are the ones who try to hurt other people. As I’ve accepted that, I’ve learned to respond with compassion, instead of retaliating back. Find out how I’ve been able to handle negative people in the past in this post.

You can’t control every situation – but you can control your attitude 

I used to let all the little things get to me when things went wrong that were out of my control. I’d complain, huff and puff and let my anxiety overwhelm me. And guess what? It didn’t change anything – it only made me appear agitated and childish. I’ve learned that it’s worthless to fret over things that I can’t control and that don’t actually matter in the grand scheme of things. 

When I find myself in a situation out of my control, I do my best to have perspective. Perspective is everything and can instantly change your attitude towards a situation. For example, instead of thinking, “why is this happening to me?” I push myself to think “what is this teaching me?” Definitely a game changer when it comes to living a life of fulfillment.

Face fear with open arms 

I saw a quote from DailyOm the other day that said “Anything really worth doing in our lives will always have some fear attached to it.” And I couldn’t have written it better myself. The things that scare you, scare you for a reason. While most will run away from fear, those who are successful embrace their fears and push through it. That’s what living your life is really about. I share more on the topic of fear, namely when it comes to the fear of failure, in this post. 

Pursue your passion & fuel your purpose

I suppressed my passion for writing throughout the majority of my 20s. Why? I feared judgment, I made excuses, I was morphing into someone I thought people wanted to be me, the list goes on. It wasn’t until I decided to make a change and pursue my writing that I began to find my way. I discovered a purpose in life with Lipstick & Ink, something that I intended originally as just a hobby for me. But as it grew, I found myself wanting to do more, impact more and connect more. If there’s a passion deep inside you that you know you have, embrace it. Own it. Pursue it. You’ll soon realize how much it fuels you and reaffirms the feeling that you’re living a life of fulfillment.

Kelly stands in front of a black and white butterfly mural

Comparing yourself to others is wasted energy

Comparing ourselves to others is human nature – generations have been doing it for decades. However, it’s magnified x10 nowadays, thanks to social media. It can be easy to fall into the trap and look at people and wish you were more like them in some way or wonder why you’re not like them. But here’s the thing – you’re not doing yourself any favors thinking that way. Allowing yourself to do that is wasted energy and is only going to make you feel unworthy or shitty about yourself. 

Become aware of when you are going on a downward spiral and halt your negative thinking. Shift your thinking and instead focus on who you are as a person, what makes you special and what you can offer to the world. Find ways to manage your negative thoughts here. 

If you must compare, only compare yourself to who you were yesterday. You can always strive to be better – but as the best version of you, not someone else. 

Open your mind to new people, ideas and experiences

In order to live a fulfilling life, you have to be open and accepting of people you encounter, ideas you hear and experiences you are exposed to. This piece is critical to growing and evolving as a person. 

Looking back on my childhood, I didn’t always have the opportunity to get out of my bubble and explore what else the world could offer me. But as I got to high school and college and then to living in the city of Chicago, I was exposed to more types of people and cultures, new ideas, and new places through travel. This helped me to open my eyes and my mind to the possibilities of what having diversity in your life can do for you. 

Get out of your bubble! 

There’s no shame in admitting if and when you need help

This one can be difficult, but ask for help when you need it. You simply can’t do it all, as much as you’d like to think you can. There are people in your life who love you, want what’s best for you and will want to help you if you need it – all you have to do is ask.

Asking for help can also mean seeking the help of an expert. What I’ve learned is that there is no shame in therapy – seriously – Millennials are considered the “Therapy Generation,” after all. Being vulnerable and raising your hand for help is what shows true strength. To truly feel fulfilled, you have to take care of your mental health and that may mean coming face to face with things you’ve previously buried. Having a safe place to talk about those struggles and be heard by an unbiased perspective may be just what you need to accept and move forward. And ultimately, you are only going to learn from and grow from that experience to live a life of fulfillment. I certainly did.

Boundaries are key 

Setting boundaries is a surefire way to improve your life and it’s something I still continue to learn and implement into mine. You have to set boundaries with the amount of work you commit to, the people you spend time with, the work and social commitments you agree to, as well as how you spend your time. 

That last one is extremely important. Make sure that no matter how busy or hectic your life gets that you set a boundary for yourself and allow time to be alone. Use that time to do the things that make you happy and feel fulfilled. 

Remove yourself from toxic relationships & seek out positive, supportive and genuine relationships

Growing up, I succumbed to keeping people in my life who I knew weren’t good for me. Whether it was because I was in love with them, was afraid of them and what they were capable of, or because I was simply caught up in the people pleasing act, I’d let them walk all over me and have some type of control over me. 

Toxic relationships can rip you to shreds mentally and leave you feeling empty and unworthy. I’ve accepted that in most cases, those people won’t change, so I’ve learned to either set boundaries with people like that or walk away and sever the relationship. It can be difficult to get to that point and make a decision like that, but realizing and accepting that you deserve respect and support is what will get you there. 

It’s much easier to live a life of purpose and fulfillment when you are spending time with people who believe in you and what you are doing. Having those people in your life who lift you up and encourage you are what’s going to keep you going and fueling your happiness. I’ve seen such a shift in how I approach my life just simply by pivoting to who I spend more of my time with. Remember – you’re the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. 

Celebrate your accomplishments (and share them too)

I used to sit on my successes so I didn’t seem full of myself. But over the last five years, I’ve realized that if I want to advance in my career specifically, I’m the best person to testify to my strengths and accomplishments. Because if you yourself aren’t even looking out for your best interests, who is? I’m not suggesting to be boastful and over the top, but you should celebrate your accomplishments – both large and small. 

Sometimes successes happen behind the scenes, so we need to share them out with our managers or team to get that visibility so you can ultimately land that promotion. It can be uncomfortable, but you have to advocate for yourself. Outside of work too, it’s important to share your wins with family and friends. The people who genuinely want the best for you want to celebrate your achievements and support you in that. You also never know who you are inspiring! 

Warm your heart by giving back

I don’t think there’s anything better in this world than extending a hand and helping someone. I’ve learned how important it is for me to volunteer and give back. It gives me a feeling of joy, gratitude and purpose. I believe we should always come from a place of service in wanting to help others because that is what a life of fulfillment is truly about. The love in my heart for helping others is what ultimately made me decide to sign up for a volunteer trip to Rwanda, Africa next February. I cannot wait to immerse myself in a new culture, get to know the people of Rwanda and ultimately help to make a lasting impact.

Kelly with a colorful butterfly mural

Everything happens for a reason

I know, I know, this one is so cliche. My grandma always said everything happens for a reason and as I look back on things that have happened in my life, I know she was right. 

Any time I find myself feeling discouraged or going through a rough spot in my life, I try to look at the situation through the lense that it’s teaching me something, even if it doesn’t make sense in that moment. Learning to accept that and the fact that my life isn’t always going to be sunshine and butterflies has gotten me through those hard times. I now look at everything that life throws my way with the perspective that it’s happening for a reason. That is what ultimately gives me hope and purpose and leads me to living a life of fulfillment.

“Your long-term happiness and fulfillment depend on your ability to fulfill your soul’s unique purpose and to fill the place in the world that only you can fill, making the contribution that only you can make.” ~Rod Stryker

Pink lipstick stain

Kelly, Founder of Lipstick & Ink
Kelly Nash

Kelly Nash is a Chicago-based writer, speaker, career advisor, and founder of Lipstick & Ink®. In addition, she works full-time in technology as a Success Manager at Salesforce and has over 10 years of digital marketing experience. Kelly has been featured in Thrive Global, International Association of Women, General Assembly, Salesforce, SheFactor, and Six Degrees Society. She is also in the process of writing her first book.

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Filed Under: life, mind body & soul, thoughts Tagged With: personal thoughts, realtalk

About Kelly Nash

Kelly Nash is a Chicago-based writer, speaker, career advisor, and founder of Lipstick & Ink®. In addition, she works full-time in technology as a Success Manager at Salesforce and has over 10 years of digital marketing experience. Kelly has been featured in Thrive Global, International Association of Women, General Assembly, Salesforce, SheFactor, and Six Degrees Society. She is also in the process of writing her first book.

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HI THERE!

Kelly, Founder of Lipstick & Ink

Welcome to Lipstick & Ink®, your home for everything career, wellness and #realtalk inspired. I’m Kelly, a Chicago-based advertising tech professional, career advisor, writer, speaker, events host, and goal getter.

Whether we’re discussing career advancement, the job search or keeping our mental health in check, I encourage you to own your power and make your mark - one lipstick stain at a time.

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Kelly💋 Career Advisor & Writer
I was in a meeting when Adam texted me, telling me I was in a meeting when Adam texted me, telling me to check Twitter with a screenshot of a tweet: "The US Capitol is now on lockdown." Immediately, my heart started to race and my first thought was, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙬?
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Just when we think we're taking two steps forward, we take one massive step back. We all know what we saw yesterday. And the reality is that our country is still divided over what to even call yesterday’s events. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐲, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐬𝐚𝐰. My loss of control feeling then resurfaced, something I've certainly grown accustomed to these last 10 months. The utter shock spiraled me into checking my Twitter feed and watching the news for 𝟷𝟸 𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝. I couldn't fall asleep until 𝟹𝚊𝚖.
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I woke up this morning wondering how I was going to get through the rest of this week. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘺? Here’s what I came up with:
♡ 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹. Minimize the news and social media you take in. I'm distancing myself and dialing in on protecting my energy.⠀
♡ 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿. I recently started writing morning pages (thanks to @juliacameronlive), where you start the day writing 3 pages of long-form writing about anything. I wrote about how I was feeling in today’s pages.⠀
♡ 𝗚𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸. Adam and I went for a walk before work to get fresh air, & clear our heads.⠀
♡ 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸. Don’t pretend it didn’t happen. Check in with others (including people you work with) and connect by sharing your thoughts and feelings too. If you need time to process, be open with your manager and ask.⠀
♡ 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹-𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴. Take breaks during the work day. End work at a reasonable hour and do something that gives you joy. I plan on doing yoga to calm my mind & lose myself in a book. {continued in comments}
My goal in 2020 was to complete my book's manuscri My goal in 2020 was to complete my book's manuscript. As you probably know, I didn’t come close to reaching it since I'm still working on it. And #itsokay. Old me would have dwelled on it, beating myself up for not accomplishing it. But I now know this: 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭.
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I wrote my 2020 goal down and pinned it on the wall in front of my desk for me to see every day last year, to push me to put my vision into action. It was my 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳, a reminder to myself to keep going, even on the days I was discouraged. It led me to get serious about my goal, hiring a book coach, and 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯.
⠀
While I didn't finish in the timeframe I had originally hoped, I myself know how much thought, time, and dedication went into attempting to achieve my goal. Looking back, there was 𝑺𝑶 much progress.
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January, as we know, is a time to set new goals for the year ahead. I'll be thinking about mine and writing them down this month once again to keep me motivated throughout the year. My reminder to you (and me for that matter) for the next 12 months is as you work towards your goals is to 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺.
⠀
𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬 -- 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞💋
[𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗚 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧] I [𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗚 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧] I love NYE - not for the parties, the dresses, or really even the ball drop. I love it because I treat it as a day to look inward, to quiet my mind, and reflect. Every NYE since middle school, I've taken time to write in my journal and reflect on the year, to acknowledge my growth, to accept what didn’t go as planned, and to appreciate the life I am creating. The past few years, I've shared a lot of those thoughts on L&I. This year though, I went back and forth as to if I still wanted to share a recap given how intense this year has been. 2020 was taxing for so many and I wanted to be sensitive to that, especially when the end of the year recaps can cross into “𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦!” territory.
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But I sincerely believe 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙠𝙚𝙮 𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙩𝙝. It's important that we take that time to look back on our year and celebrate, especially before we rush into the goal-setting madness that accompanies a new year. We learn a lot about ourselves when we reflect, and write down and share our wins and our shortcomings. Not only that, we learn a lot from each other when we read these type of reflections. This year especially is important to recognize our growth because of the hardships we endured.
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Despite how challenging 2020 has been, I do believe 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙩𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙪𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙪𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨. I want to share those lessons and things I personally learned about myself, because this year will be one that we’ll never forget. In my newest post on L&I, I share:
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☆ What Went Well⠀
☆ What Didn't Go So Well⠀
☆ What I Learned⠀
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You can read it all via the link in my bio! I hope that you too use the last day of 2020 to take a moment and reflect and truly appreciate how far you've come. Because damn, it was a 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐭. 𝐖𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐢𝐭. Wishing you a healthy, safe, and prosperous 2021 ahead ♥️
Living through this year has been challenging on a Living through this year has been challenging on a number of levels. There’s no doubt about it. Between the pandemic and the upheaval of our lives that’s come along with it, to the racial injustice many of us had our eyes opened to, to the ongoing political strife and divide, to the deaths of our loved ones, it has been a 𝐋𝐎𝐓.
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It’s been a common refrain ever since March to wish 2020 𝙖 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙗𝙮𝙚. I certainly don’t blame anyone for it. But even in the darkest of moments, it's important for us to not be consumed by it and instead seek the light. Find the good, find the lessons, find the realizations 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴.
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Which is why I asked the L&I community – 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮?
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Swipe to see some of the top responses that were shared. You can also see the rest of the responses in a new blog post on thelipstickandink.com, via the link in my bio. Perspective and perseverance will always see their way through💋
As women, we are faced with 𝙖 𝙢𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙗𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨. And with those come a 𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕚𝕔𝕖:⠀
➸ Those obstacles and challenges can either define us and hold us back from being our most authentic selves⠀
ᴏʀ⠀
➸ We can break free and rise to the women we want and are meant to be.
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Each of these obstacles and challenges I've listed are ones that I've personally faced. Throughout my 20s, I allowed them to consume me, lower my confidence, and ultimately chain me down. I limited my potential for years without even realizing it. But in these last few years in particular, I've learned what it means to 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫. And with that comes making an active choice to let go of what holds me back.
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I bring this up because 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘐'𝘮 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐'𝘮 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. Revisiting the memories and emotions and writing out these experiences is helping me realize just how much I've overcome - and still am overcoming. I'm in no means past all of this as I feel I'm a constant work in progress. But it feels empowering to reflect on how far I've come and have the opportunity to share that with other women. I can't wait to reveal more about my book in the coming weeks. There will definitely be more to come.
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Now, I want to ask you - what do ʏᴏᴜ want to break free from? Are you currently releasing anything that's been holding you back? Let me know in the comments!💋
I’ve seen a quote all over IG & it’s one that I’ve seen a quote all over IG & it’s one that I slowed my scroll to pause and take in: “𝙸 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟶 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝙸 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍. 𝙽𝚘𝚠 𝙸 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟶 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝙸 𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎.”
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While living through this year has been challenging on a number of levels, one of the things I hope we can appreciate is the 𝙜𝙞𝙛𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚 🎁. I’m not referencing the physical 6 foot distanced space we’ve grown accustomed to. (That part has been hard - I really miss hugging my mom 😭.) I’m talking about the 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 we’ve been given - 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚, 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣, 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡, 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚. Through the gift of space, 2020 has been a year in which we’ve learned what we need, what adds value to our lives, and what depletes us.
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For me in particular, 2020 made space for:⠀
🎲.Play and connecing with my inner child⠀
💭 Reflection and journaling⠀
🙅🏻‍♀️ Boundaries and learning to say no⠀
💬 Tough conversations on racial injustice, science and politics⠀
♥️ Connection with others, even when it meant virtually⠀
🌳 Getting outdoors and enjoying every walk and hike I took⠀
🤔 Curiosity into learning more about myself through astrology, human design, shamanism & mediums⠀
📚 My book, a dream of mine since I was a little girl⠀
🦋 Being present and learning the power of slowing down and tuning in
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It’s been a common refrain ever since March to say 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘣𝘺𝘦 𝘵𝘰 2020. And it's crazy to think it will pass in just 24 days. The new year is going to come regardless, but 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 2021 𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪? What lessons can we carry with us from 2020 to shape it into the year of freedom and possibility that we are hoping for? How can we continue to 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 even as our schedules inevitably fill up, our offices open, and our lives go back to a sense of normalcy?
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I'll tell you what, the space that 2020 created is something I'll certainly be holding onto and ensuring I maintain💋
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