Many years ago, I bought a pillow and it simply yet powerfully, begs the words, "Be You Bravely". Every time I look at the pillow I think about who I am as a person, and how I feel internally about the woman that I have become. I look back on my life and reminisce about all that I have been through, and I look forward to my journey ahead.
For as long as I can remember, I have always been career-driven because I began working as a young child. I grew up in a family business and worked hard for every penny in my bank account. When my friends went to the beach for "Senior Week" after we graduated high school, I went to work in a bank. I missed the "fun" at the beach because to me, fun meant establishing a career for myself. I worked every summer through college and I worked 3 jobs to put myself through graduate school while maintaining a 4.0 GPA.
When I lost my job in December 2022, I struggled with the "loss" of my professional self. I clawed through the feelings of despair, trying very hard to figure out who am I if not for my career. I had endless conversations with my bestie about how to accept the fact that my authentic self was no longer the working woman professional that I had grown to become.
It has offered my heart so much peace to remember who I am in this world beyond my career. Not working has given me the opportunity to heal mentally and physically. It has provided the space I need to grow through the pain and find a new meaning through writing. It has offered me the ability to spend more time with our daughter and less time commuting. And I reflect on the other parts of my authentic self including, yet not limited to, a woman, a wife, a mother, a sister, a friend, a blogger and oh so much more.
Right now, I do not wear my high heel shoes to work. Instead, I wear them every time I leave the house. They hold a new meaning for me as I walk through the challenges life has thrown my direction.
My hope for you is that you are able to find people in your life that love you for who you are. And that these people will grow with you into the person you will become. I want to end this blog with a poem that I recently read:
GROWING THROUGH IT
I hope you are learning to give yourself the credit you deserve. I hope you are beginning to recognize just how strong you are for pulling yourself through each and every difficult time in your life. I hope you allow this realization to walk with you, alongside any obstacles or roadblocks you might encounter along your journey. I hope you know just how capable you are and that no matter how challenging a situation may seem, you have the courage to keep moving, to keep growing, and to keep healing. I hope you can look in the mirror and say, 'I'm proud of you' and really mean it. And above all, I hope you realize just how incredible you are, and just how much you deserve your own love.
Written by Charlotte Freeman
Love Note: With all my heart, I genuinely request that due to the content written, please seek the guidance of professional help should you feel you need it.
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