I have never been one to write in a journal or keep an audio log. When I was younger, I would write for a few days and then either lose my notebook or tell myself there was no point. As an adult I know that there is an importance to writing out my thoughts even if it is just one sentence. That, however, still did not come easily to me. I still had the tendency to lose my journal or leave it in a room that I don't normally spend time in at home. I also did a lot of "I'll just do it in the morning" or "I don't have anything to write about today".
A few years ago, I had a thought about starting a wellness blog. My past experience with journaling crept in and reminded me that I didn't have the greatest track record, squashing that idea really fast. Now add on top of that; I didn't practice writing. Anytime we had to write a paper in school, I dreaded it (not the topics, but the actual writing portion). I did not believe I could ever be a good writer. I even dreaded when I needed to write a piece for my artwork in our school show. That voice kept me from writing a blog. It also kept me from writing meaningful captions to my pictures that I share on Instagram or Facebook for fear of it sounding stupid (which is a small thing, but it bothered me).
I want to address this little voice in your head that tells you "you can't do it", "no one will read it", "what business do you have writing about that". Impostor Syndrome. Insecurities. Lack of confidence. Whatever you want to call it, it drives me nuts.
I also want to share the things that helped me acknowledge that voice and move past it.
1. Name the Voice
If I had known at a younger age that naming the voice of fear would make things more manageable, I would have picked a name in a heartbeat. It makes it so much easier to address and acknowledge. Now that I know this, I have named my fear "Gladys". Any name will work, as long as you can personify the voice. Once you've named your fear you can say "Okay Gladys, I hear you. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. I will keep it in mind." This open dialog between you and your fear will allow you to work through it. There is so much power in showing your inner voice some acknowledgement. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
2. Read
The one thing I did a lot of was read. I would go to the library and come home with five or six books to finish by the time I needed to bring them back. Reading helps improve mental stimulation and is one of the best ways to expand your vocabulary. I don't know about you, but every time I got to a word I didn't know, I made a point to look it up. Can't be having any misunderstandings about storyline you know. Now this doesn't necessarily mean that I'm going to be an amazing writer. It just made me realize that I do have some of the knowledge and tools to write a decent post.
3. Friends
Find people that motivate and inspire you. I have friends that I see in day to day life that lift me up. I also use my Pinterest and Instagram for positivity. It's taken me a while to get past the "follow everyone you know!" part and making my feed a positive and inspiring place. Know that it's okay to unfollow someone if they are lowering the vibration of your feed because that will effect you. Imagine this for me; you talk to yourself negatively, you let fear walk all over you, and you surround yourself with people who think and do the same. Now imagine you talk to yourself negatively and let your fear control you, but you decide to find a few positive people and they start to rub off on you. Slowly your doubts about yourself will turn into more positive thinking because those people inspired you to be kind to yourself.
4. Resources
I encourage you to find resources that promote personal growth. Books, classes, podcasts, programs, anything. One of the best things I've ever done was download the app Audible on my phone. I have the free version, which means I can buy audio books at regular price whenever. You can also pay monthly and get one free audio book each month plus discounted prices. Getting that app meant I could listen to books while I was driving (and I was spending A LOT of time in the car) and the only thing I could do was listen. It is worth it, I promise!
I started reading personal development books about seven years ago and more recently found a few other resources that really made an impact. One that I really want to share with you all is Air & Earth Guided Meditations and The Growth Guide created by Melissa Moffet. I dove into these at the beginning of the year and implemented them into my daily routine. Let me tell you, even though I've been working on my personal development for a while, these resources BLEW. MY. MIND. If you don't already, I highly encourage you follow Melissa on Instagram and over at her blog. She was one of the first accounts I found when I was looking for positivity and inspiration! And she has the cutest pup named Forrest! You can also access a sneak peak of the guided meditations here!
Because I love these resources so much, Melissa gave me a discount code for those of you who read my blog! All you have to do is enter "minfulblog20" at checkout!
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If it has helped you in any way, I would love to hear about it! You can write to me in the comments or in the Contact section.
***Disclaimer: These are the things that worked for me and may or may not work for you.