At the start of a new year, it feels timely (& also convicting meets inspiring) to read this The Refined Woman interview featuring my own words written & exposed in print to my younger self. As I plan to set aside time this weekend to put my dreams & goals for the year into writing, I can't help but smile at these two notes to self.
(Full interview on their blog & thank you for helping create space for this reflection, TRW)
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1) I wish I could tell my younger self to remove the toxins. Whether they’re unhealthy relationships, insecurities and lies, disappointments or rejections, focusing on missed opportunities or regrets — all of it! Don’t hesitate to remove anything that generates toxicity within yourself or your company. For years I lived in extreme people-pleasing mode, and would entertain toxic things for way too long. It would eat away at me, removing my ability to make decisions in work, to write freely in my personal time, to live without worrying what people thought. I would go back and tell my younger self to remove it with gracefulness and kindness — but with boldness and swiftness.
2) My real life heroes are my parents who taught us the value of character, determination, and perseverance.
My father was quirkily committed to teaching us the value of a dollar. After a piano recital or sports competition, our parents would ask if we wanted to go to Baskin Robbins. When it was time to pay, my father would bring out his spare change and count out 100 pennies for every dollar owed. My sister and I fell for it every time thinking he wouldn’t possibly count 800 pennies yet again to prove his point. People in line would offer quarters to help, and my father would kindly reply,
“No thank you, my girls are just learning that every penny in life counts.”
We would roll our eyes and then relish every bite. But we learned to value our pennies, our minutes, our actions, our thoughts, our failures and accomplishments.
📸 by @jelabela)