Your Friday Five

There will be times when love will heal us and also hurt us. Romantic love, platonic love, and self-love can all be beautiful, complicated, and messy. One of the most helpful pieces of advice I have heard was from a wise therapist who was helping me during a time when my heart needed to heal. I just could not get my mind around the idea of forgiveness, even though my heart knew it was just the medicine it needed. Here is what she said on the topic of forgiveness, and it changed my entire perspective forever:

"Forgiveness is not letting people off the hook for doing or saying an unforgivable thing. Rather, it is unhooking yourself from the negative actions of your past so they do not drag you down and stop you from creating your most beautiful future."

The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon.

I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it, or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own; if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true

I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself. If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.

If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty even when it is not pretty every day. And if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand at the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, ‘Yes.’

It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have.

I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

You can purchase the full book here

Self-care involves setting boundaries that honor our physical, mental, and emotional limits. Giving more of ourselves than we can replenish often increases strain, stress, and can move us into burnout. This tool is designed to support you by raising awareness of depleting versus nourishing activities to help set healthy boundaries and allow you to flourish and thrive.

Please go back to the bottom of this email to download a PDF that you can use to follow this short and important reflection and get more details.

1. What activities do you look forward to?

2. Is there anything that you dread doing?

3. Who or what is causing you stress or discomfort right now?

4. Who or what energizes you?

5. Who or what drains you?

6. Who or what makes you feel safe, supported, and valued?

7. Who or what makes you feel insecure, unsupported, and undervalued?

Writing a love letter to your future self is a beautiful way to reflect on your current journey and offer yourself encouragement, gratitude, and hope.

Start by imagining where you’ll be in the future:

• What kind of person do you want to be?
• Where would you want to be living?
• Who would you want to be sharing your time with?
• What would you want to be doing?
• How would you want to be feeling?

Write as if you're already that person, celebrating your growth, achievements, and resilience. Acknowledge any struggles you're facing now and offer future-you compassion and reassurance. Keep the tone loving, kind, and supportive. To take it a step further, put the letter away somewhere safe, then set a reminder in your schedule for one year from now to open the letter. It’s also a good idea to remind yourself where you’ve hidden it.

What are three qualities about yourself that you are most proud of?

Hit reply and let me know. Don't be shy!