Appreciate + Allow + Align

Hey Sis,

Here we are about to close out the 2nd month of the year. How’s it going?

Are you feeling in your stride? 

Is your quality of life looking good this year? 

Do the goals and standards you set at the beginning of the year still feel aligned with what you truly desire?

One thing I’m often surprised by when working with women is the lack of clarity around the quality of life they truly want. We are usually clear about the things we want to accomplish, but less clear about how we want to feel while pursuing them. It’s almost as if we accept a stressful path toward our goals as the norm. We don’t often think about setting the goal of actually enjoying the journey. Why is that?

Then we go after our goals with full force. We wake up one morning and realize we’re tired, stressed out, and lacking the spaciousness to care for ourselves the way we’d like. So, we try to add in new routines that’ll help us be healthier. But these routines feel unsustainable, and when they don’t last, we feel bad about ourselves. We compare ourselves to others and double down on pursuing our goals, hoping it’ll make us feel better about ourselves.

Sis, it’s hard to align with a vision you’re not willing to allow. 

Will you allow your heart’s desires for an amazing life to grow? Not just the desire for another achievement, but a life that actually feels good.

Imagine waking up every morning feeling vibrant, moving with energy all day long, but also knowing when to surrender to the evening, enjoying restful sleep AND still being unapologetically ambitious?

If we don’t allow space for the quality of life we desire, we’re pursuing goals at the expense of ourselves. How can we expect to have a happy ending when the journey is filled with stress, burnout, and resentment? 

Going forward, can we create a strategy for our goals that includes not only action plans but also plenty of space for us to enjoy the pursuit?

For me, one of the best ways to get there is through appreciation.

I appreciate myself and my ambition. It might feel normal to you, but not everyone has your level of motivation. You have a gift, and learning how to see yourself clearly to appreciate your tenacity, resilience and grit is a great place to start.

I appreciate my body. It has seen me through 100% of my days—the days when my heart was breaking in sorrow and the days when it was overflowing with joy. I’ve made my poor feet walk in uncomfortable heels and worn undergarments to suck, tuck, and hide parts of me I shouldn’t have been ashamed of. I’ve fried, dyed, and tied my hair, and slept with makeup on because I just didn’t have the energy to wash my face. I’ve pushed through debilitating cramps and headaches by numbing my body, which simply wanted to rest. So, yes, I appreciate my body.

I appreciate the people around me—whether they are friends or foes, likeable or annoying. They all reflect something back to me and invite me to grow.

Starting with appreciation creates the space to allow. Allowing appreciation to grow then opens space for your desires to grow. It is only by allowing your desires to grow in your heart, that you can be in a position to align with them.

So, sit back.  Close your eyes.  Inhale through your nose, letting your belly rise.  And visualize in your mind's eye the feeling of relaxed, stress-free success, as you exhale through your mouth.  Allow your heart to beat with pride, peace and joy from being the woman of your dreams.  Allow your heart to grow warm with passion, fulfillment and love from the deep satisfaction of having it all.  

Will you allow?

Or does your mind immediately interject with practical, logical and analytical thinking that doesn’t leave space for your desires?  This is not the time to try and figure out how.  Right now, can you move past rational, sensible thinking to allow yourself to dream?  Can you get out of your head and into your heart? 

It feels vulnerable doesn’t it?  And that’s the work. 

Again, we can only align with the goals we allow ourselves to desire.  So, will you allow?

This is your invitation to revisit your goals and standards for 2025. Now is the perfect moment to course-correct and ensure you are pursuing the quality of life you desire—not just checking off achievements.

Journal prompt:  

• How do I want to feel, not just achieve?  

• What do I appreciate about myself?  

• What vision of myself will I allow to grow in my heart?  

• What inspired actions will align me to that vision?

Appreciate. Allow. Align.

Holistic Hustle will be on hiatus until April, as we migrate to a new platform.  

If you are a subscriber there is nothing for you to do!  You will be notified when we go live again.

In the meantime, please enjoy past articles you may have missed. Feel free to reach out if you have questions or suggestions for future articles. 

And pick up a copy of my new book, The Body Ministry - A Playbook For Your Health and Fitness Journey.  This book is NOT a diet or exercise program, rather I wrote it to be your coach, cheerleader, wise Sage and BFF on your journey.  It’s almost impossible to change your body, without first changing your mind.  And this book bridges that gap. I promise you’ve never looked at yourself this way before, and when you do everything (including your body) will change.