Dear MELI,
I know I need to make changes in my life but I don’t know how to start. It seems overwhelming to think about, and even with good intentions I can’t seem to begin. Most days I’m just trying to keep my head above water, so how do I pursue my best self on top of everything else?
Yours,
Treading Water
Dear Treading Water,
I feel you. I’ve been you. I am you. How I wish I could wave my magic wand and make life easier for all of us. Life isn’t easy – some days life is ‘kick you while you’re down’ hard, and that doesn’t even count the super awful stuff that can happen, Treading Water.
But something stood out to me in your question that tells me that you are ready to begin your MELI journey. When you say that you know you need to make changes in your life, that shows me that you are already moving in the right direction. Recognizing that you want to change is sometimes the hardest part. Now you just need to take the next step.
And why take the next step? A lot of people all around the world are a-ok with the status quo of their life, however unfulfilling it may be. Let’s be really honest with each other here and acknowledge that taking the next step is scary and overwhelming. The short answer to why you should take the next step, Treading Water, is because you’re worth it.
You are worth the effort to put all of your eggs in the basket of the pursuit of your best self. You are worth making yourself the top priority in your life. You are worth making your own health and happiness the most important thing to you. You are worth saying yes to yourself. You are worth the self-care and the self-love and the self-discipline that it takes to choose yourself first, everyday. And you are worth the effort to make the most of your one precious life.
I’ll share a story about a woman whom I admire, I’ll call her Clementine. Clementine was exhausted, Treading Water, by her day-to-day life. She worked hard, she parented hard, she wifed hard, she friended hard, until everything felt really hard, all the time. Clementine wanted to change her hard life, but changing seemed too hard, too. She thought so long (and hard) about how challenging it would be to make any of the changes she wanted to make that she stayed stuck. One day, Clementine decided to stop focusing on the hard. That day she decided instead to focus on doing just one small thing for herself. She took her first step.
Once Clementine took the first step, she never went back. She kept moving forward, in small steps each day, toward the pursuit of her best self. She was the first woman I had ever met that took care of her body, mind and spirit first, and then she took care of all the other things that needed taking care of. She prioritized herself, unapologetically, and it was a sight to behold.
She can do that? I thought to myself when I first saw her do it. Of course she could, Treading Water. And so can you.
You too can unapologetically pursue you. In the spirit of the New Year any day of the year can hold your new resolution. There is magic in finding your own personal recipe for health and happiness, Treading Water. We designed MELI to help provide a road map full of resources and support on your journey toward yourself – think of it as your curated toolkit of possibilities. If you need support on where and how to start, begin by picking just one thing from the MELI branches each day: move your body, put your energy toward what fills your cup, eat real food, and prioritize self-care.
Small changes can become daily habits that will create positive change in your life. The way you take the next step, Treading Water, is by understanding and embracing that you already are and have always been worth it.
xo,
MELI