Questions with Rachel: Listening to My Gut, Writing My Memoir, and Self Care in a Hustle Culture
It’s time for another episode of Questions with Rachel! In this episode, Rachel asked me all about my new book, Sleeping with a Stranger, which will be available in stores and online April 7th 2020.
We also talked about what I had to sacrifice to get this book written, what it really means to find balance and take care of yourself before you take care of anyone else, and how I’m feeling about making my carefully-guarded personal life so public when the book launches. Hint. Everyday I wake up and tell myself there’s still time to pull the book. If you’re ready for some honest conversation and even a few book sneaks, keep reading and then have a listen to this episode!
Making decisions
Rachel and talked about my book, Sleeping with a Stranger, in the context of my goals and how I knew now was the time to share this story. For me, God speaks to me in whispers and if I don’t listen then that whisper becomes louder. As a person who primarily makes decisions with my heart and as someone who is in tune with my gut, I’ve learned to recognize this inner voice and not ignore it. I think for anyone, it’s important to have quiet time each day, amidst all the noise that fills our heads and hearts, so we can hear that inner voice and make decisions with purpose. This year I’ve learned about and have been practicing meditation, which for me is quiet time of passive prayer, where I’m listening rather than talking, and it has helped me balance and strengthen my futuristic thinking.
We all have a purpose in our lives, in big and small ways and the things we do, prepare us for the next thing. For my 2019 vision board, I had a picture of a person writing which represented my book and part of achieving this was to announce it to my audience. I also knew that accomplishing this would be something my future self would thank me for and I had to prioritize other projects and family vacations, because I knew it was time to share this story.
Upright and steady
I’ve learned that balance is possible, but it looks different for each of us. Balance is defined as equal parts required to be upright and steady. I’ve discovered for me this means I have things I have to do everyday to take care of myself. I make time for my devotional, time to meditate and time to exercise everyday. Only after I’ve done these things am I able to give or do for others. As moms and entrepreneurs there can be resistance to this idea, but it’s not selfish, it’s selfless. I know when I don’t prioritize my needs, I’m not at my best and I believe everyone around me deserves me at my best, especially my husband and my children. We all have to figure out the things that keep us upright and steady so we cater our life to those things and can show up and live with purpose as our best self. In addition to my needed daily activities, I've learned that work also fills me up and I’m a better mom when I have a break from my kids during the day. When I have the chance to miss them, I am so excited to pick them up from school and I have the energy and patience to love them well. Rachel and I talk more about this is depth during this conversation and I'm hopeful it will help you begin to ask yourself what you need each day to live your best life.
As I begin to share more and more about my book I think it’s clear to most of my listeners that the very personal and private parts of my life, the parts I have had boundaries around sharing, are going to be exposed. It’s scary to share my private life and in this episode you’ll hear how I have to talk myself back into releasing this memoir each day by reminding myself that my story is bigger than me and was given to me to be shared and I have a responsibility to share it.
Determined, driven and… passive?!
Rachel and I finished up our conversation with some influential books I’ve read this year and discussing how much I’ve changed and grown since January 2019. I share about the shifts I’ve made in my daily life and how I’ve learned there is power in being a bit more passive. You’ll want to listen to this episode to hear the insights we both had about what it takes to be a better mom and business owner and how to be determined and driven while also allowing good things to come. I can’t wait for you to listen!
Thanks again to Rachel for another great week of Questions with Rachel. I hope you feel encouraged to know yourself and examine your life for ways you can be taking care of yourself so you can show up as the person you were made to be for your family, your business, and yourself!