Instead of emulating the Instagram worthy images by the pool or the beach, or working in the coffee shop with perfect hair and makeup, self care for me in this season looks like permission to not be perfect, and that’s hard to say knowing that you guys are reading this. Self care in this season means It’s OK for life to be a little messy.
We are going through a beautiful but incredibly difficult season of becoming foster parents, one of our children moved out of state for the first time, my role as social media agent, consultant, and six-figure business owner is changing, and I’m having to let go of all of the success and all of the identity that I’ve built over the last few years.
Letting go of what worked in the past is the only way we can fully embrace what’s in front of us right now.
Guys, that many transitions at once takes a lot of work. I don’t say that as a request for sympathy, but I truly hope that recognizing how much energy is required for me to transition through all of these things will help you see that you may be exerting just as much energy in the transitions that you’re facing.
So sometimes self care means not going up to my office. It means not going to work at my favorite co-working space, and sometimes it means not spending the time to do my hair and makeup, not showing up on Facebook live, and allowing space for God to pour into me, allowing space for rest rather than constantly being driven by the things that I know I should be doing because I ran a social media agency.
I know how many times a day I should be posting, I know how many times a week I should be doing a Facebook live, I know all of these things. But I also know that God is calling me to a quieter season. This quieter season is going to require me to slow down A LOT, to become more aware of myself and where God is and isn’t in my life. So for me, the messy hair, cheap coffee, fuzzy socks and pajama pants is the look of the successful entrepreneur on some days, because that’s what God has called me to in this season.
So I challenge you to forget what you think you should be doing and really explore: What is it that God is calling you to right now?
What does success look like for you? Is it getting out more or staying home more? Is it more conversation or less? What does self care look like for you and where does it intersect with this current view of success? And how are you letting go of your old view of success so that you can grab onto the new with both hands?
Because it is really hard to cultivate something new that God has put in front of us when we are still holding onto the old.
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This post originally appeared at angelajherrington.com, published with permission.
