Happy New Year y’all. I’m so excited for the new year and a fresh start. 2020 will probably go down as one of the worst years in history. I pray that 2021 grants us mercy. No matter what this year brings though, my number one priority is to Give Myself Grace. Grace is my 2021 Word of the Year.
2020 taught me to be grateful for the little things. It taught me how easily life can change in the blink of an eye. It also taught me the power of resiliency and being able to adjust to the times. Most importantly though, 2020 taught me how important it is to be kind to yourself.
Trying to adjust to the new norm at the start of the pandemic really took a mental toll on me. On top of not being able to see my family and friends and being confined to my home, I was worried about the the security of my job and how the pandemic would affect my son’s senior year of high school. It was all too much for me to bear.
All around me I saw my peers in the influencer community pushing through. Adjusting their content, still working with brands and simply slaying. Meanwhile, I could barely push myself to get out of the bed every day. Let alone keep my head in the game. I wasn’t motivated to do anything at all but eat, sleep and try to survive. Not thrive.
I was extremely hard on myself and feeling so unaccomplished. If everyone else was able to adjust, why couldn’t I? Let’s not even talk about all of the “motivational” posts on Instagram– take this time to start a new business, work on your goals, think outside the box, be creative. Simply adjust. If you weren’t doing these things, then you didn’t want to better yourself. This only added fuel to my internal fire.
But after some much needed self reflection it dawned on me that I was doing exactly what I was supposed to be- What I could to keep my head above water and float until I was able to swim again. When I felt like I had the strength to swim again, I did. And when I felt that I needed to rest and recharge, I floated. No longer did I feel unaccomplished. I now felt refreshed and refocused, and was able to adjust to the new norm on my own terms.
There is power in being kind to yourself. No one is perfect. Sometimes life will throw you blows and knock you down, and you’ll find that it’s hard to get back up. But do your best to pick up the pieces and don’t be so hard on yourself in the process. It doesn’t always have to be sink or swim. It’s okay to float when you need to. Give Yourself Grace.
This is the self care and self love that I want to practice in 2021 and beyond. I will extend myself the same grace that I give to others. I hope this post motivates you to do the same. Happy New Year again. Wishing you good health, an abundance of wealth & happiness! xo
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3 Responses
Hi Erica..I needed this post and felt like you were talking to me and only me.I spent most of 2020 adjusting,feeling overwhelmed sometimes while watching others thrive and do more. It all made me feel like a slacker lol. The holidays were so hard because I was unable to see my oldest daughter and grandson.They live in Georgia and I’m in Ohio. My state was going through a surge and we agreed that it was best they not come at that time. Of course,everyone has had to rethink travel,eatign out etc. I have mostly hunkered down. Once again, thank you for this post. You nhave helped me more than you could ever know..
You are very welcome. I’m truly glad that my post has helped you. The holidays were almost unbearable for me. Especially Thanksgiving as my son ended up with COVID and had to remain on campus to quarantine. I spent the day alone, working to keep busy. I was so grateful he was able to be home to spend Christmas with me. It was just the two of us though and no other family. I’ve mostly hunkered down myself. But some days the winter blues get the best of me on top of dealing with this pandemic. One day at a time 🖤
Hi Erica l often look on post to see every update you give , and I love them all , but I be checking out your hair that I loooooooove . How do you get your to look like that every day .