Even though our work is about supporting women in embodying more love, peace, joy and freedom, there are days when I (Lindsay) feel anything but the highest, brightest version of myself.
I had one of those days a month ago. I was standing in the kitchen, staring blankly at a pile of dishes in the sink thinking, “How is this my life?”
I was drowning. Overwhelmed by all-the-things.
The dishes.
Mountains of laundry (washed and re-washed multiple times because I forgot to throw the wet clothes in the dryer).
Toys covering every square inch of the living room floor.
Unanswered emails and texts.
Packages that should have been returned months ago.
Copy that needed to be written for our website.
My 1.5 year old begging me to ignore it all and play with her.
It all just felt like too much. And I directed my overwhelm and frustration at myself: “What’s wrong with me?”
“I’m totally failing.”
“I’m not a good mom.”
“If only I was more this/less that.”
I was in it. Spinning out in self-judgement and negativity. And I was going downhill fast. I needed relief and salvation. And it came - in the form of sisterhood.
Kelly texted me, “I’m heading down your way. Walk?”
My first thought was, “I’m a hot mess. I can’t let her see me like this.” (How often do we do that? We know we need support, but we refuse it, push it away, too afraid to let others really see us). But something inside of me knew that sisterhood was what I needed, so I said yes.
So we walked. And we talked. I was vulnerable and transparent. I shared everything swirling around like a tornado inside of me. No pretending. No concealing. I let her see me in my raw, naked truth.
She listened with empathy and compassion. No judgement. No shaming. Just pure love and understanding. I was so moved to be received by her in this way. To be that loved, that seen, that supported. To not feel alone and isolated.
The more I shared, the more the dark clouds inside of me lifted, and I could see solutions that I couldn't see when I was 'in it.' I accessed my resourcefulness and felt encouraged to reach for what I really wanted - less overwhelm, more presence, more joy. Because Kelly held space for me, stood for me and reminded me of who I was, I found my center again.
This weekend, Beth and I watched sisterhood in action at our first annual 2-day event, Authentic Living Live.
We watched women show up for each other and call each other forward.
We watched them remind each other of their beauty, worth and magnificence.
We witnessed them open their hearts to one another and lift each other up.
This is the gift of sisterhood.
If a sister is having a rough day, we support her.
If a sister forgets the truth of who she is, we remind her.
If a sister veers off course, we help her come back home to herself and the awareness that peace and joy is sourced within her, no matter what her circumstances may be.
I am so filled with gratitude for Kelly and all of my sisters. And to be perfectly honest, I’m craving even more sisterhood in my life. It's is an edge for me (more on that in another post), but it's one I’m committed to leaning into, because I know the transformational power of sisterhood and that we can go so much higher and further in community than we can on our own.
So here's what we invite you to do today:
1️⃣ Share gratitude with one of your sisters. Send her an audio message letting her know how much you love and appreciate her.
2️⃣ Schedule a date with a girlfriend this week. Make it a priority. We're all so busy taking care of everyone else or prioritizing our careers, that we tend to forget to schedule time for friendships that feed and uplift our souls.
Sisterhood is not a luxury. It's essential to our joy and wellbeing. Let's put it at the top of our list of priorities where it belongs.
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