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Boho Berry Challenge Dec 2018

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Thanks to my village for riding with me through this rollercoaster of a year. All the rants & tears, wisdom, encouragement, prayers, and love were more helpful than I can say. 

Here are some reflections from my Boho Berry #yearendreview.

My favorite memory of 2018: sitting in the desert with @jtjackson. 

Biggest accomplishment: saying NO. (My fellow #enneagram2’s will understand.)

Biggest Challenge: Navigating my role in and across multiple complicated relationships.

Two of my successes: I wrote more & was more consistent with my planner

Money well spent: travel

Smart decision: maintaining emotional boundaries with unhealthy people

Unfinished business: my home office & finding a new therapist

Start doing: learning more about #menopause

Keep doing: more family & bestsister time

Self-Care: more laughter

Word for 2019: F R U I T I O N

#bohoberrychallenge #planneraddict #writer #travelislife #enneagram #selfcare

Enough

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Join us for a Beta Test of

RADICAL SELF-CARE

FOR WOMEN

WHO’VE HAD ENOUGH

Are you ready to say ‘BYE to all the toxic people and things in your life?

You are NOT powerless.

Let’s say ENOUGH and clear the way for 2017.

Join us for an interactive session that makes space for you to:

  • Acknowledge the highs and lows
  • Make space for more ‘yes’
  • Visualize a way forward
  • Identify key supports
  • (Re)Create your self-care toolkit

We will leave our time together with a renewed sense of purpose and a plan to face each day with boldness and joy.

Women who have experienced loss, work in high-pressure careers (corporate and nonprofit), are emptynesters, and/or are part of a blended family are especially encouraged to attend.

There are only eight (8) slots for this beta session in Houston.  To join us, please register today.

Saturday, January 7th
10am – 1pm
Houston, TX
Lunch will be provided




*If you are unable to join us, please be on the look-out for more workshops in 2017.

Radical SAVERS for Self Care

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I haven’t written a blog post since February. Not sure how that happened…oh yes, I do.  L.I.F.E.

As an employed-preneur (aka hustla) I work and run my own businesses.  I have an (extended)family and community.  Since I’ve been away my family has faced some heavy, heady, stuff.  We’ve experienced graduations, travel, surgeries, biopsies, and now cancer. I have blogged in my head but other than character limited social media posts could not get a single word out on the page.  Things happen that way.

Two nights ago, the murder of Alton Sterling woke me back up.  I acknowledged that while my family’s suffering is real, I live a privileged life.  We have had the resources to pursue education, access healthcare, travel.  We have each other to lean on in times of true pain.

My privilege does not absolve me from showing up for others.  My privilege requires me to use my education, resources and networks for the greater good.  I know without a doubt that God created me to pursue justice as a radical act of faith.

As I was trying to figure out how to get out of bed this morning, I popped on Facebook to check in with my virtual crew. The first item on my news feed was a picture of a Donny Hathaway album that a friend posted.  She reminded me of the healing power of music & its importance to my self-care.

Y’all know I use the Miracle Morning personal development framework for the past year.  This mornings SAVERS were situated in the reality of two Black men murdered by law enforcement in the last 48 hours.  My SAVERS were radical in that they were not about my personal enjoyment or fulfillment.  They were about addressing trauma in a way that freed my spirit to face the day.

radical self care coloring

Here are today’s SAVERS:

Silence: prayer for the families of Alton Sterling & Philando Castile

Affirmation: #blacklivesmatter

Visualization: freedom

Exercise: yoga (tadasana)

Read: Psalm 103:6

Scribe: outline for a blog post on black philanthropy for black lives, coloring

This my people is #radicalselfcare. Name and address the trauma (if you are ready/able). If you have the privilege of time and space, take it.  Take care of you by any means necessary.

Our lives literally depend on it.

kelli

Sick Day

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For the second day in a row I woke up with a scratchy throat.  You know that feeling.  The one that comes when you try to swallow and you get that weird feeling when you do.  I wouldn’t say that my throat is sore.  Just scratchy.

Some folks would have went ahead into the office.  I choose to stay home.  First of all, I have sick days.  They are mine to take when I feel sick.  In my mind, sick is not when you show up to work sneezing, coughing and spreading obvious germs.  I USED to be that girl but my world changed when child #2 got sick a few years back.  Since then, I have learned to listen to my body.  In fact, I have slowed down my life considerably since my kid got sick.  I stopped throwing good money after bad. I no longer pour myself into relationships that don’t feed my spirit/soul.  I’ve resigned from community work that doesn’t resonate with me.  I’ve streamlined my philanthropic giving to include churches and community groups that have an immediate impact on PEOPLE instead of buildings and mysterious funds.  I don’t give out as much free advice and for a while I completely stopped my nonprofit consulting.

So today, when I woke up not feeling 100% I chose to stay home.  My office is understanding because they don’t want any of my (potential) germs.  But that’s not the main reason.  My job get’s people.  They care about people and their well-being.  I have the privilege of having sick leave which millions of workers in the United States lack.  I know I’m blessed this way.  My mother sacrificed her entire life and most of her savings to give my brother and I THE best in academic and extracurricular activities.  The experiences that we’ve had in our lifetime are things that we have/will pass on to our children.  Now as adults, my brother and I have college degrees, great jobs and income that afford us pleasure — and an obligation to do right by these many blessings.  I have learned, and since my daughter’s illness, have implemented my belief that self-care is an obligation. I am obligated to myself and my family to take care of me.  I do this by taking days off when I don’t feel well, praying, talking to my husband and friends, laughing, crying, journaling, and when needed visiting my therapist!  I know longer (act like I) believe that I can handle life on my own. When I practice these principles of self-care my disposition is pleasant and I am my best self.  When I don’t, I am not a nice person…at all!

As an asthmatic with bad allergies, I am often sick between October and November.  The rest of the year I’m fine but something about this change of seasons seems to knock me off kilter.  Even though I get weekly allergy shots, take supplements and avoid dairy and gluten, I am still susceptible.  So I don’t play.  I stop when I don’t feel my best.  And today I didn’t.  I’m hoping I caught this thing early enough.  If not, I have plenty of raw honey, garlic and lemon on hand.  I hope it doesn’t come to that but I’m ready no matter what comes.  Taking care of me is at the top of my list.  Promise.

kelli