How Are You Investing In Yourself?
Can I ask you a question? And be honest with me. When is the last time you put yourself first on the to-do list? When was the last time that you made yourself a priority? I must admit; that this is not something, I am great at doing. However, I've learned to acknowledge that when I am more intentional about it, everything and everyone else around me benefits.
By learning the importance in my own life, I have gained a passion for ensuring that other women are making time for themselves. I want you to be intentional about filling your cup, so I started sharing my writing and creating spaces for women to be fed and for their hearts, minds, and souls to be nourished. Because when we fill our cups, we can then pour into others. And let's be honest,
women are the wells of life
We are the source of so much, for so many things. Therefore, we cannot afford to run dry because it directly impacts the world around us. However, it is easy for us to place ourselves last on the list of priorities, and I want to encourage you to reframe and restructure that process. Let's commit to being more intentional about our self-care. When we do that, I assure you that your self-love and your self-worth will grow.
I recently had the opportunity to share my strategic approach to building self-worth with Emily Abbate on her podcast, Hurdle (listen here). I provided four easy action items for us to implement to make self-worth, and one of those was Investing in Yourself.
When I say invest in yourself, people immediately assume I am referring to money. For some, it may mean you need to spend a little on yourself, and no, not JUST on that new bag you are eyeing 🤩. But maybe, it's spending a little on your health and wellness journey. Maybe it's paying a little more for healthier food. Perhaps it is investing in a consistent spa/wellness package so that you can prioritize recovery and rest. However, most of the time, I would argue that
Self-investment usually comes down to time.
We need to create more time for ourselves, and that is what I want to challenge you to do. Ask yourself the following questions:
When do I feel like my best self?
What would my ideal day look like?
How much time do I need to myself to feel rested?
And once you've answered those questions, I encourage you to start making yourself a priority. Instead of saying, "Ah, it's just me, and it's just another day; I'll get to it at some point." Reframe that by saying, "I will get to everything else, once I have _________ for myself today."
All that said, I want you to know that Soulfully Spoken will continue to be a resource for you to be encouraged and inspired to invest in yourself. As I mentioned back in April, this space is expanding. What started with shared writing is evolving to be a beautiful container where you can experience the power that is ignited when women gather and share their stories, wisdom, and life lessons.
During UNLEASHED, we truly were a part of such a transformative experience. We healed together, released together, and grew together, which ultimately formed a bond of sisterhood, and now we are forever SOULFULLY CONNECTED. And it won't stop there.
Soulfully Connected is the community that, if you are reading this, you belong to!! I am committed to you and to provide resources & more opportunities to fuel your soul consistently. Within the next couple of weeks, we will announce our Fall Schedule for 2022, be on the lookout for that.
"There is a shared experience that all women have and feel, which can only be understood fully by other women. This kind of group bonding allows us to to cry and laugh without being judged." -Unknown
However, I can't leave you hanging until then. Many of you are aware that because you attended UNLEASHED, you were gifted a book called Speak, written by Tunde Oyeneyin. Join us on September 13th at @6:00pm MDT (8:00 pm EST) for a candid virtual conversation where we will share our takeaways from the book and personal life application. If you don't have the book or haven't yet started reading, you still have time!! Start reading, and then be sure to register for this FREE event. Let's dive into an empowering conversation. See registration below.
This event is a perfect way to start investing in yourself and making yourself a priority. Are you ready to make the deposit? I hope so!!!! ✨😁
I will give you one more opportunity to start strategically building your self-worth. In the podcast, I talk about the four action items. We discussed one already, and that is investing in yourself. However, the first and arguably the most important is to
talk to yourself & about yourself in a way that validates your worth.
So sis, what's that self-talk sounding like??? If it was anything like mine was (and still can be), you should consider participating in my 30-day Affirmation Challenge. The affirmation challenge is designed to help you start your day positively while building your self-worth from the inside out.
It's not complicated, and the rules are straightforward. Pick an affirmation that speaks positivity to who you are while you look in the mirror, and say it out loud. The trick here is picking something simple and believable; for example, "I AM WORTHY" would be your affirmation for the day. You start your day with it, and as the day goes on, if you need to refer back to it, you do, and if you need to end your day with it, you can repeat it before bed. Affirmations are a simple yet effective way to build your confidence and self-belief.
If coming up with affirmations is a struggle for you, I got you covered. Check out my newest book, "I Am, That I Am: 365 Days of Intentional Affirmations".
I will love to know if you're participating in the challenge by tagging @thesoulfullyspoken on IG using hashtag #30daysofaffirmations. Sharing your affirmations with others is a beautiful way to inspire someone else, who likely may not even realize they need it. There may even be some prizes offered up to those participating 🙌🏾🙏🏽.
I look forward to seeing you for EmpowHERed Soul: Speak Virtual Conversation in September, but until then, remember you deserve to be a priority in your life. Make the time and invest in yourself. You're worth it.
With Love,
Vanessa