Self-Reflection and a Call to Action

I'm in a place to do some self-reflecting today. I've needed a 'mental health' day for a while now. I put those off and I really shouldn't. Sometimes I get a little bit of self-reflection at church, but that is not nearly enough.

Looking back over this blog, I see that I talk about 'balance', 'well-being', 'mental health', and 'love', 'happiness', 'marriage', or 'friendship' most often. I think that is my niche. Besides writing, of course.


I am highly introspective. Not everyone is. In fact, if you know you are feeling or acting crazy, you most likely can figure a way out of it, whether that crazy is manic or depressive.

So, if you aren't introspective, you probably need advice. I love to bounce ideas off of people, I just never considered myself an expert of any kind, nor do I profess to have all the answers. I feel my posts are pretty lame. Who am I to give out tips?

While I hold no degrees nor certifications, I do have a wealth of knowledge that may be of service to others. Is there anything you've read about in my posts that you want to know more about?



If you want to Create a Clear Vision for Tackling Your Weakest Areas of Well-Being, email me.
elshahawk1@gmail. Together we can Uncover the Inner Thoughts that Sabotage Your Happiness. Leave Renewed, Reenergized, and Inspired to Finally have the Confidence to Be the Best YOU!

Find Balance in your Life! Have a Wealth of Well-Being! Together we can hold each other up.

Invest in Yourself.

Get on With Living and Loving

I made this meme using a quote and an image:

I like the way the devil and the angel remind us about eternity, while also about living and loving to the fullest in one image.

Plus, it's pretty hot! I saw it years ago and saved it. If you know who made it, let me know so I can give proper credit.

My husband said, "Hey, I just said that last night!" because he did say we'd better spend whatever time we have together before we don't have it anymore. As you get older, the years tick by faster and faster.

It also reminds me not to play it safe. Sometimes we have to take risks, little leaps of faith, put our trust in people or things in order to get to accomplish our goals; step out of our comfort zones.

Be intentional today.

Identify what you want your life to communicate and contribute, then set some goals.

Again,

1. What do you want to contribute with your life? 
2. What is your message?
3. How will you get there? What steps do you have to take?

Overcome Your Fear and JUMP IN!

This little PowerPoint (you will have to click through) gives my three steps to overcoming my fears and taking life by the horns. 

Step One: You need to get curious about your fear. Analyze your thoughts, your location when they happen, who they happen around, and what your react is. Do you leave? Do your palms get sweaty and you become tongue tied? This is like analyzing a setting in your writing. Be descriptive and cover all the senses.

(I used to have a co-worker that I needed to confront. I idolized this person because they had more experience and I went to them for advice. However, I was higher in rank and felt manipulated into their ideas on how things should work. They would get really mad when I tried to do things differently, as was my prerogative as the superior.)

Step Two: If your best friend came up to you and said they were struggling with a fear, you would brainstorm with them, comfort them, and motivate them to try to face it, right? Why don’t you do that for your own fears? Replace your negative thought with positive ones and be grateful for what you do have. Ground yourself in the study of your surroundings, and shift your focus and perspective. Not everyone has this fear.

(I had to think about confronting her and her being angry with me. I did talk about this with another person and learned that they had similar feelings about being manipulated. I didn't feel alone and took comfort in this unity. I began to plan what I would say to her and how I would change the environment in my favor.)

Step Three: Then it’s time to do one small thing to face your fear. Speak up with an introduction, get closer to the thing that scares you. Many times I imagined a situation would turn out worse than it was once I had to face it. The reactions I expected didn’t occur, or they were much milder.

(When I finally confronted her, she was upset with the change I'd made. It worked out that the change was sorta her idea, however it didn't work out the way she wanted. She was put in charge of a group, but didn't get to have lunch break with her favorite conspirator anymore. Would she figure out a way to make this happen, so she could get a lunch break with her again? Probably. Would she figure out a reason to make another change in her favor, possibly. This time, I would be ready. All changes can be undone.)

Note: Since we cannot control everything, we have to let go of the illusion of control. It’s okay to cry, to ask for help, or to shake and tremble as we move closer to the thing we fear. Take deep breaths. Jump In!

(I certainly am in control of this situation, as I am the highest rank in my department. I needed to find unity and support for my actions and decisions in order to go through with them. I needed to gain some perspective on the situation and allow myself to jump in and make changes. I had to admit that not everything in my department was peachy, that I did not have control, in order to gain it back.)