Recently, I had a particularly crummy day. I was in my head despite my best self-coaching.
I marched upstairs in a huff-determined to do something-a bath, meditation, scream into a pillow, anything! -to turn this day around.
As I passed the framed photos hanging above my banister, one in particular caught my eye.
It’s a photo of me, my husband Scott, my son Ryan, and daughter Cora-from 2005.
We’re standing on a beach, wind whipping our hair, wearing matching white and muted pastels.
That was a happy day, but smiles were in limited supply for me back then. As a stressed-out wife, mom, and residential real estate agent-“struggle” was my middle name.
As I stared at that old photo, I realized:
I am living my former self’s dream.
In today’s episode, I’m diving into how to handle the crummy days, the setbacks, and disappointments by digging into your past.
This is a good one- let’s get into it!
Clients often come to me feeling frustrated and disappointed about something in their life.
They have a goal, but haven’t made much progress. They’re not where they feel they“should be.”
They had huge expectations for a business launch, but ended up in the red-losing money.
They made a scene, but received negative backlash that crippled their confidence.
In these moments, it’s tempting to wallow in self-pity and low quality thoughts. You want to let it go, but that’s not exactly easy to do.
Every single person in the world has disappointments and discouraging experiences. Instead of feeling down when these things happen, it’s important to normalize them.
Failures, rejections, criticisms-these are all positive indicators that you are doing something RIGHT. You are taking risks, making bold moves, chasing your dreams, and standing up for what you believe in.
All wonderful things!
And, to prove that to yourself, all you’ve gotta do is dig back into the past.
When I look at “2005 Susan”-that exhausted, stressed and totally-burnt out version of“me”-I know what I wanted back then.
To become a self-made millionaire, doing important, fulfilling, life-changing work.
To find body liberation and prioritize joy.
To create wealth in all areas of my life-bank account, time, freedom,and peace.
Whenever I have a bad day (and LISTEN y’all-2021 has been riddled with them!) -I look back at myself in 2005 and think:
“Dayumm-I am living my former self’s dream!”
I bet you are, too.
Even if you haven’t achieved your “exact” goals and dreams over the years, I know that you’ve evolved, grown and changed.
When you’re having a bad day, take a moment and CELEBRATE that growth instead of wallowing in negativity.
Maybe fifteen years ago you didn’t even know what a life coach was-and today you’ve started your own practice.
Maybe a decade ago, you had a dream to write a book-and today you have a solid rough draft. Hello-productivity!
Maybe five years ago, you attended a conference. That event connected you to your business besties who are your biggest support system to date.
Focus on those seeds planted in the past-and how far you’ve come.
The past holds all of the wisdom you need to create a joyful future.