Being the optimum version of myself

Helping you become the optimum version of yourself. That's my business tagline. One that I try to stay true to. But what does that mean in the day-to-day application of taking care of your mental wellbeing?

One thing I had to accept is I had to be the person I wished to become. Not just say "I want this" or "I want that" without any actions. It can be hard to show up for yourself but I have to remember that if I don't do it for myself then no one else will.

So then how am I actually showing up for myself? I still set my daily tasks at the start of the day. Some days I do it all, other days I don't. I'm not self-critical to myself - as I appreciate the things that I am successfully able to do. If I'm unable to do everything I have set out to do in that day, it is probably because I have set too much to do in the first place...I gotta cut myself slack, as I've learnt the positive self-talk is so much better than the self-destructive speech.

I do things that literally make me think, damn you look good! I assure you it is not vanity! When living with chronic illnesses, I'm unable to do the things I wish to do physically so I've had to find other confidence boosters. I've fallen in love again with my beautiful Afro hair and learning how to style it. I've developed an interest in make up (a bit of shimmer and eye shadow goes a long way!). I've always loved caring for my skin but I've discovered a host of new techniques to just keep my skin glowing, and I'm always being complimented on how good my skin looks!

I cry...most days these days. From physical pain; to the subsequent emotional pain. What a stress reliever it is though - I literally feel lighter. No shame or shade towards myself. A lot of annoyance/frustration/anger about the situation, but it is what it is. I can't change the facts. Sometimes that thought alone may make me feel worse...then I wallow; LOL. I allow myself to wallow. There's so much for me to feel sad about. I acknowledge that it's ok for me to feel sad about these things. What I don't allow is for me to sit in this sadness for too long. Maximum 3 days I give myself but my wallowing is usually over in a day or two.

It's so important to not gaslight our own emotional expression. We don't hold back from feeling our positive emotions so we must too learn to ride through the wave of not so great ones too. It's not easy but then like rainbow at the end of the storm...my gratitude.

And I remind myself what a privilege it is to see my dreams into fruition. Being proud of my success despite the storm I faced to get to or through it.

• To successfully keep my business running.

• To be able to further my knowledge with a Masters.

• To visit the world.

• To be a homeowner.

• To be a wife.

• To be a dog & cat mum.

• To be a God mum to 4 beautiful God children.

• To have meaningful friendships.

• To give love and receive it.

Just like that - a reminder to live my life as I please, with the cards that I've been dealt; as my authentic self. It's liberating being my authentic self and I love helping others figure out how to do the same.

So back to being the optimum version of myself. The main thing is respecting the ever changing landscape of that. I'm multifaceted and so is what my optimum self may look like on any given day, maybe even any given hour!