Write To Be Gentle With Yourself
Hello Dear One,
How are you? Writing daily? Maybe life feels too busy, there are other priorities or you simply forgot writing is a place to go. It’s always here. And we never get far by beating ourselves up.
Right now things are happening, changing, evolving. Writing is an essential tool for me because it helps me find calm, step back from overwhelm and see the bigger picture. I instantly felt better when I journalled on this week’s prompts, experiencing the kind of magic which comes from rewriting your story.
Over the last week, I’ve inadvertently pushed myself to do a lot of things. Life has gathered speed and while part of me is propelled along – making plan after plan, acting spontaneously, forgetting that I need time to rest – there is another part digging her heels in, saying slow down, slow down. Equilibrium, I believe, lies somewhere between these two. I love seeing my friends and family, pursuing new work opportunities, going on adventures or simply out to dinner. But if it becomes too much, I can retreat under the duvet. Yes, I honour essential commitments, but nothing terrible is going to happen because I take time out.
So, I’m aiming to evoke the gentleness I approached life with at the beginning of the pandemic, where I knew, acutely, all I could aim for was making sure I was ok.
This softness shows up in the space I give myself - restorative yoga, baths, time for reading or ordering takeaways and bingeing T.V. shows - but also in how I speak to myself. Instead of pushing and demanding I choose self-support and kindness. This might take practice, but it’s so worth it. If you’re noticing some resistance to sitting down with your pen, take this letter as a gentle invitation. And if you feel stuck pause, take a deep breath and come back to your heartbeat.
I hope it helps. There’s a lot of renegotiation at the moment, and you might not want to jump back into life exactly as it was. Honour that.
Remember: you have grown and evolved and you have choices. You can choose to do something or not do it, choose to reach out, choose to protect time, choose to change your story. Choose to be kind, to be gentle with your mind, body and heart.
Thanks for being here and being you.
All love,
Jo
P.S.
If this letter made a difference to your day like it, leave a comment, share it with a friend or buy me a coffee on Ko-Fi. Thanks so much to all my supporters and have a beautiful week!