When change arrives, you then can have the power of choice: of how to move your life forward.
When life takes us by surprise, we can feel caught in between two worlds. Like walking through unfamiliar terrain. You feel like you are frozen to the ground, while everyone is just getting on with life as per usual.
But my fellow goddesses, you are not an alien, nor are you one of those cute little minions milling around shouting obscenities in the snowy tundra. Congratulations. You are in transition. In between two worlds: your old reality and your new one.
And I know exactly how you feel.
10 years ago, I knew I had to make a choice to survive and stay uplifted in spite of facing divorce. I remember exactly where I was too.
I was staring in the mirror, having lost a sense of myself, my life’s values, and beliefs. I was knee-deep taking care of my 4 young children and needed a desperate boost of goddess sparkle in my life. But I didn’t know how to psychologically get there and stay there. I was in a slump and didn’t know how to seek out my joy again.
But I did know this: that I had to get better: for the sake of my kids, and … for the sake of my wellbeing.
So here I was with a choice. I could either say yes to finding joy, or I could say no. Yes or no. That was the question.
So, I said yes. Yes, to taking responsibility for my health and wellness. Yes, to love. Yes, to healing. Yes, to personal growth. Yes, to new adventures. Yes, to being the victor in my life. Yes – to taking the reins to move my life forward.
I said yes to me. I made a commitment to myself. I signed on my imaginary dotted line.
YES. YES. YES.
Was I scared? Sure, I was. Was I excited? You bet! Did so have a crystal ball? No, I did not. But I was brave enough to say YES … to ME.
What happened next was simple cosmically weird.
I found my temple: where I could rebuild myself.
Once I decided to accept that my life was going to be reshaped by engaging in some semblance of self-love, people started showing up for me. I quickly built up a support network of people, mums, and wellness professionals. One suggested I join a local gym, to further my wellness and self-care.
It was found above a seedy building of supermarkets
Sexy, I know.
Upon entering this gym, I was expecting to find it strewn with weightlifters and able-bodied seediness, where I’d feel a wash of fear and intimidation sweep over me. But … there was something else that mesmerized me about this gym.
It was quite surreal: I saw a slew of fit women- mums, just like me, working hard to get fit. It wasn’t YOU vs. me, it was US. It was inclusive.
And it wasn’t their instructor bodies I was so fascinated about. It was their confidence. The way they stood. The way they laughed. The way they engaged with other women equally, without competition. Their self-esteem was through the roof. They were magnets of positivity. Like the Amazonian warriors in the movie ‘Wonder Woman’, they carried themselves with inner confidence and strength. They were self-assured. But moreover, they looked ALIVE
Like ancient goddesses … from the movies.
Suffice to say, they cast a spell on me. Something in me stirred. I realised there and then – that this gym was going to be my Goddess temple. Keen to rebuild myself, I figured the first steps to seeking out my inner goddess was about rebuilding my physical foundation. It was now up to ME to discover what powers lay beyond this place.
So … I said YES to this Goddess temple. And to me ..
victor or victim … what’s your choice?
So, if unexpected change were to come your way, what would you choose?
To sink, or swim?
To spread your wings and fly, or sink into a negative mindset?
To be like the lotus flower, or to get tangled in your own toxic waters?
Which choice do you think is the wisest choice … the one that’s going to make you feel better?
Are you going to don your cape and take responsibility for the change the universe has handed you, or complain of how hard your cards have been dealt?
Living in victim land is not a choice my goddess friends. It is a way of tormenting yourself. You are not meant to be a closed, caged animal, locked up in bitterness and hate, refusing to release yourself from your own narrative. Living in blame, is a rose-coloured state of mind.
But being better? That is a life choice, of someone who wants to conquer and heal wounds, and rediscover their spark within.
Which brings me to my next point …
Let’s talk about love, baby.
Before we move on, I want to pause and talk about love. The spellbinding subject of love. When we think of love, we think of roses, hearts, and fairy tales. We think of Aphrodite, the Goddess Of love, beauty, desire & procreation. And sometimes, we even think of er, your knight in shining armour, and well … we’ll get to him later.
Let’s come back to the subject of love, baby.
We are constantly spellbound by the idea of love, of approval, and acceptance. So, is true love a myth or something deeper? Does it exist or is it a game that people like to play? Some people may define love as instant infatuation, as a heightened feeling of romanticised love. But in this short and sharp interlude, I want to share a new meaning of love, and that is the pocket of love that you have for yourself, called ‘self-love’
What is this thing called self-love?
Self-love is akin to the air you need in the tires of your car. Your tires need to be equally full so your car can ride smoothly on the road. The energy of love works in the same way. The more love you put into your heart’s centre or love tank, the more your loving energy will radiate out over every aspect of your life. To discover what the weight of your love tank is, and where it sits on the scale of love you have for yourself, is extremely hard to measure and is often easily overlooked.
Sometimes, we simply feel lethargic and depleted of energy when we put the attention we need for ourselves aside, to take care of everyone else. So, how do we generate self–love on our own? How do we practise this daily while carrying on with our other responsibilities in our lives?
Creating self-care, first through physical fitness, mindfulness and striving to boost a positive mindset is one of the most loving things you can do for yourself. It’s like those ancient goddesses must have done in Greece or Rome: making self-care their daily ritual. So, in the beginning, my ticket to self-love came in the form of self-care at this gym full of modern-day goddesses: where I chose to reboot my physical and mental strength and develop some much-needed inner peace. For in ever-changing times, that’s what we goddesses gotta do, n’est ce pas?
And remember girl, even if you are feeling a little lost? You are not an alien. You’re a Goddess-in-progress.
So what happens when you have accepted the changes in your odyssey? Ah ha! It’s time to make a choice: of what you are going to do first: to move your life forward.
Intrigued? I hope so! So, in this next blog post, come and Odyssey with me …
