Inside Voice Podcast Miss Radio Jess

If you're like me, you want to live a life that is both fulfilling and exhilirating. Well, that doesn't happen just sitting on the couch watching a screen. We've got to get out there and live it. Now, I know that can sound both inspiring and terrifying at the same time. Like, where do you starts? I believe it starts with something so small. Something that we often overlook because we're seeking out the big, dramatic and thrilling things things to change our life. I'm talking about habits - good old fashioned habits. Good habits can move us forward, but bad habits can also hold us back. So how do we build up the good ones? What does that look like? What if I told you, you could be on your way to a good, healthy habit that sticks, as early as this week?

As a 3 on the Enneagram, I know the high you feel when you check off everything on your to-do list. But what happens when your to-do list is just filled with tasks and nothing that sparks joy or passion in your life. Y'all, just when I was hitting my stride this year, I suddenly felt burnt out. I found myself telling a friend that I felt like I was being super productive, but not doing anything I wanted to do. That's when I knew it was time to shift focus and put something meaningful at the top of my to-do list. It's important for us to slow down and look around every once in awhile. Our lives are meant to be rich and colorful. If weren't not careful, we will miss out on the true joys in life.  Taking these moments can be done every day in just about every task and trust me, they won't derail those big beautiful dreams you're chasing. 

I hear this phrase in another podcast and it really struck a nerve in me. It's simple... "You have no clue." It hit me like a ton of bricks. We have no clue what beautiful things are in store for us, we have no clue just how high we can soar, we have no clue the impact we can have on others. Why? Because we've compare ourselves so often to so many other things that we have take the glorious treasure within us and we've buried it. This habit has squashed our dreams before we even had a chance to pursue them. Y'all it's time to look within ourselves, dig up that treasure, and let it shine. 

One thing we can all count on in life is that it doesn't last forever. Time marches on and before you know it our time is up. This is encouraging when it comes to the hard times. It's nice to know that grief and heartache won't consume us forever but when it comes to our dreams, this is a call to action. The things you are pursuing won't always be there. The people you love won't always be around. This shouldn't paralyze us with fear, but it should give us the push we need to be present in our lives. I guess the real question is, what are you waiting for?

When you think of muscles, what do you think of? Biceps, quads, abdominals...? These are all muscles that need to be worked to be healthy and to keep out bodies healthy and strong. But what about the mind? The mind is also muscle, but one that is far more complex than the rest. You can't just feed your brain protein after a few heavy reps and call it a day. Your mind is a muscle that is always working and always evolving. It's also always learning. It's due to this complexity that I believe we need to find a coach to help us train it. 
This is why I've decided to go to therapy. 
It's likely you'd get a trainer to help your body, a nutritionist to establish your diet, a coach to help you level up in your field of expertise or a teacher to further your education. But why do we stop short when it comes to our minds? Perhaps stepping into our greatest life starts with working on our minds. 

Valentine's Day is just about here. Once again we will all be focused on what we get or what we don't get and what that says about us. How about we choose to love ourselves this Valentine's Day?
 Not in a "I don't need no one" way, but rather with a genuine care for ourselves. Often times I think we are told to love ourselves in a prideful way or we're told that loving ourselves is a selfish act. Either way, we're left empty and unfulfilled, which can leave us feeling depressed.
But if we can take care of ourselves in an authentic way I believe it will open more doors of opportunity for us and further push us into who were meant to be.
So what does that look like? Let's look at three areas we can love ourselves better.