May Reflections from Mary

If you've listened to the Self Love Club podcast you've heard me say more than once, 'I don't know where the time has gone', and to avoid repeating myself I've decided to know where the time has gone by slowing down and doing monthly recaps. Which I of course want to share with you, and hopefully hear from you about your month too. So, what are we waiting for: let's go!  

READING

I recently started the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, despite not considering myself a fantasy girly, but now I can confirm I am. I finally finished the entire series and wow – I highly recommend this series, five books in total, for the practice in using your imagination and truly checking out from real life stressors. Outside of my fiction reads I also try to add in one non-fiction, ideally business read and I started 10x is Easier Than 2X. I'm only a few chapters in and it's already changing how I look at life and work. If you're not an entrepreneur this book is still for you and can be applied to life as a whole. 

ENERGY

As I've aged I've focused more on tuning in with my energy, as in just paying attention to my natural energy levels. I'm an introverted extrovert so balancing my energy has always been a struggle. I love being surrounded by people, sharing moments with friends and meeting new people, but I can easily overdue it and my energy can take a massive hit. This past month was half and half, the first half of May was slower paced and offered me more downtime to rest. While the second half was filled with travels and a lot of socializing. I wish I could say I ended the month feeling energized from having both but as May ended my energy was at an all time low. Looking back, I can see where I prioritized putting my energy into others more than into myself. So at the very least, I have learnt from my imbalances so as I move forward I can ensure I prioritize myself more than time pouring into others until my energy is back.

COOKING

I haven't always been a good cook, or even a decent cook but I have been trying new recipes in order to enjoy eating more and prioritize my health. I've been struggling finding a breakfast I've enjoyed. I can't do gluten or diary so it does limit my options, and I need protein in order to make it through the day so that often leaves me eating eggs. I recently came across this egg bite TikTok and it inspired me to try myself. What's even better is I can make enough for 3-4 days and heat them up each morning which is a lifesaver. My first rendition featured mushrooms and onions but the absolute best part was adding chimichurri on top for that extra deliciousness. If you try these out, let me know what you think or if you have suggestions for relatively easy high protein breakfasts please share!

AFFIRMATION

I've leaned on positive affirmations from time to time in my life but lately I've found a deeper desire for them to help me through uncertain times. This past month I've dealt with a lot of imposter syndrome, not only around work but also in life. Ok, so maybe it's not imposter syndrome when it's in life, but it's that feeling of not being good enough, special enough or worthy enough. I know when those feelings arise for me it often comes from comparison, and honestly so much of that comes from social media. This online world where we see the best of what others have, are doing or their achievements and it's so easy to start comparing myself to others when I spend time on social media. But, I also have to for work and growing this business – so it really is a hard thing to balance. Anyways, when it comes to this feeling of imposter syndrome or not being enough, the affirmation I've leaned on and repeated is I have everything I need within me right now. If you haven't added affirmations into your self-care toolkit, I highly recommend trying. You can say these in your mind throughout the day and even better when you say them aloud, looking yourself in the mirror until you truly believe it.

PROUD

I often struggle with acknowledging things I'm proud of. And to be honest, I'm not proud of that. I ask my friends to share what they're proud of often, I want to celebrate them and remind them, that I'm proud of them too. So in light of treating myself like I treat others, I'm going to get uncomfortable and acknowledge what I'm proud of – and you should too. I went to Italy at the very end of May and when it came to renting a car, it was significantly cheaper to rent a manual than automatic. I first learned to drive manual when I was 16 but it's been over 10 years since I last drove manual. But I said, why not? And rented the manual. What I didn't think about was the narrow Italian roads, roundabouts and hills. But I did it! And boy, did I do it scared. I was literally shaking but I overcame my fears, only stalled it a few times and made it through Italy for a week in a manual and can now remind myself that I can do anything I put my mind to.

I hope my recap of May gave you some inspiration to look back on your time spent, slow down a little and highlight some small and big things from the fast passing time. I'd love to hear from you in the comments below or on Instagram, about what you've learnt about yourself over the past month and what you're looking forward to next. The beauty of all this, especially being on the internet, is to feel less alone and reminded that we truly are in this together. Thank you for being here, thank you for being you.