Changing My Thoughts and Knowing My Worth

Hi, friends!

Today I want to scream into the void about how important it is to know your own worth. It’s something that I’ve struggled with for most of my life. For a very long time, I could not reach past feelings of worthlessness. I thought that I was worthless. And nothing that anybody else could do or say would convince me otherwise. I had abundant proof that I had value, had worth, and I was achieving my goals (some small and seemingly insignificant, others large and groundbreaking) left and right. Yet, I still felt worthless. To this day, when my anxiety and depression really kick the floor from beneath my feet, I struggle with feelings of self-doubt and worthlessness.

I’ve had a breakthrough. I want to share this with you.

Continue reading “Changing My Thoughts and Knowing My Worth” →

Marching Ever Onward

Hello, everyone! Long time no chat – and happy March!

Hopefully it gets to be spring soon. Here in Syracuse, the seasons are a little bit wonky, so it may become the 5th winter in April. Or it could be summer by mid-March. Who knows? All I know is that my mind is starting to become more and more functional as the days pass and we get closer to summer.

The joys of executive dysfunction, let me tell you. Some days it’s a struggle to even get out of bed. (Related note – if you got out of bed today, I’m proud of you. If you were unable to get out of bed today, and made an effort to be accepting and loving towards yourself, I’m proud of you. If you struggle to get out of bed today, and also struggle with being accepting and loving towards yourself – I am STILL proud of you. Yeah. I really, really am.) During the winter, my brain tends to function a lot more slowly than I am used to, and over the years I have needed to come to terms that Winter!Britnie is not exactly capable of the same things as fairweather!Britnie is. I’m still struggling some days. It’s a process. Wherever you are in the process of accepting yourself and loving yourself, know that it is a process and you have to fight towards it every day, and it is absolutely okay if you struggle. Take the good days with the bad, friends.

So, it’s March. Yay. Are we ready for a quick review of my winter? Ready, go!

Continue reading “Marching Ever Onward” →

VLOG: Courage, Self-Knowledge, and Perseverance will get you far

I recorded this video in mid-October. I have not been able to go back and write anything that seems like it would be worthwhile to pair with it at the moment. So, let us have a vlog post on this topic, as it stands, and I will probably revisit it at another time. I often find myself coming to this topic organically. I have no doubts that I will visit this topic again. For now, I have held it in reserve waiting for the “right moment.”

There is no such thing as “the right moment.” I should have shared this two weeks ago; how many people could have benefited from this in that time? File this one under: thinking too much; also file it under “letting perfect be the enemy of Good.”

If you like what I write, any of the ideas that I share, or just want to give back: please, leave a comment! It helps me to know that there is engagement or interest, and it also helps me figure out which topics are worthwhile to dig a bit deeper into. Any suggestions of ideas you’d like me to ponder, please let me know as well because I’m always happy to do a little more thinking on the big, important topics of life.

This November, I dive head first into NaNoWriMo and tackle writing a novel in 30 days. If you’re a ‘wrimo, add me as a writing buddy! This is a time where perseverance is key. I wish you luck, and happy noveling, and I charge onward towards the elusive goal of 50,000 words.

Remember, everyone: There’s 2 months left of this year, so make the most of it! You do not need to wait for January to begin working on a resolution, to change a habit, or to start something new and exciting. Every moment is a chance to begin. Seize it.

They Know Who You Are: on ancestors

The second Wednesday of every month, I go to meet with a group of people to dive into some deep, spiritual discussions that I don’t often get to explore in my daily life. An eclectic group of Christians, various Pagan paths, and those who are undefined but exploring their own spirituality, questions are encouraged and the discussions can get very deep.

Samhain is coming up, and in the Celtic traditions this is the blood harvest for culling the herd and readying the home for Winter, but it is also a time where we can interact more easily with those across the Veil. Ancestors. There was a lot of focus during this meeting on ancestors. I gathered my courage and I asked a question:

“What if you don’t know anything about your family or ancestry?” Continue reading “They Know Who You Are: on ancestors” →

My Personal Commandments

Today I wanted to share my 10 Personal Commandments that I came up with in June. As I’ve mentioned before, 2018 has been a year of extraordinary growth for me – I bought a house, got married, changed careers, began and ended relationships – so it should come as no surprise that I have been focusing more on personal growth. I want to end the year with a clear picture of who I am and who I want to be, as well as have a plan for how I am going to get there.

Well, it’s a good thing that my first (and probably most important) Personal Commandment is to Be (100 percent, unapologetically) Britnie.

Continue reading “My Personal Commandments” →

From the Overflow

About a year ago, I discovered this wonderful podcast called Happier with Gretchen Rubin. It changed my life. Since I began listening to it, I have been happier, healthier, and more productive – and I’m not lying! I listened to one of the newest episodes of the time – Find Your Oasis – and I was instantly intrigued. I went back to episode 1 and began binge-listening to it almost immediately. It was an interesting way to spend a strength workout!

A quick overview of that episode in case you don’t plan to listen or read the show notes – Gretchen and Liz advise us to find an Oasis in our week (Liz gets a weekly massage and I am so envious) and remind us that healthy treats are a good thing. We are reminded of many Strategies for Happiness (and Habit Change) relating to The Four Tendencies framework, knowing oneself better (in this case it was abstainer vs moderator), loopholes, planned exceptions, and using the Strategy of “the clean slate” to change one’s habits. Also, Gretchen gives herself a happiness demerit for doing what is urgent instead of what is important. Liz gives a gold star to a speaker, author, and podcaster who has spoken at her son’s school. There were so many interesting things in this episode that I immediately wanted to know more.

Part 2 of my workout was spent taking the Four Tendencies Quiz and discovering my Tendency – when it comes to expectations, who am I? What are my patterns? How is this something that I can use to better myself, and as the tagline of the show suggests, lead a happier, healthier, more productive life? Continue reading “From the Overflow” →