As you all have likely noticed, I didn’t publish one, single, solitary blog in August. 😩 I also posted on social media that I was going to take a break from hard alcohol and do a “no alcohol August.” Oh, and of course the brow business has been booming. That said, yes, I’ve been busy, but more importantly, I’ve been living and sitting in an abundance of gratitude. I’ve been overwhelmed with so much peace and positivity that I needed to really be in the moment. I looked forward to a new month to be able to reflect on the last 30 days and to come back and share it with you all. The universe of course confirmed this when I woke up to Maria Shriver this morning on “The Today Show.” She talked about the contentment of a clear schedule and taking a break from it all to deal with things that had happened to her in the last few years and having to “update her narrative.” She addressed the importance of letting go of your worth being tied to titles and material things and understanding the importance of “enoughness.” Whew chile. Amen. I immediately got out of the bed, walked the dog and quickly found my iPad to publish this very message to you guys.
Although I’ve never been happier with a job/career move, I’ve recently (within the last two years or so) settled into personal peace and choosing happiness regardless of the things happening around me. It doesn’t mean I’m not human or that I’m unaffected by pain or disappointment. I’m just really valuing time as the most important currency. I want my time to be spent in situations that are beneficial to my life, to my family, and to be able to give that positivity back to the universe. I’ve found that when I spend too much time thinking about the past, about negativity...that I’m wasting the highest currency. TIME.
Maria Shriver talked about some of the things she dealt with during her clear schedule moment. She mentioned being angry at God after the sudden death of her 22-year-old cousin, she said she thought about her Mom’s passing and even her divorce. This is when she discussed updating her narrative. That phrase spoke so loudly to me, not only because I understand the importance of it, but because whenever people ask me about the death of my parents, I share with them, but then I tend to finish it by saying, “it’s just a part of my story.” Yes it’s tragic, yes it’s incredibly sad, AND it’s just my story, my new narrative. I never thought I’d be parent-less in my early 30’s, or that my child would never know them, but here I am. That’s just my life. One of my best friends recently loss her father and as you can imagine, it stirred up some feelings for me. Mother Maria Shriver (😩) also talked this morning about realizing that “grief wasn’t done with her yet.” This, like the rest of her segment hit me like a ton of bricks.
I was very emotional at my friend’s father’s beautiful funeral service, but not with pain. People spoke so highly of his genuine nature and the happiness that his presence brought them. It didn’t sound like typical funeral talk; they meant it. I could feel it in the room. And in that moment I was so at peace for his spirit and for their family. On the way to work, after the service, I reflected on my own losses and also how at peace I felt with them. I have no idea what our spirits experience after this life but whatever it is, I’ve accepted it. While I’m here, I want to live in the graciousness of all of my blessings and lessons. I want to be completely present in the love that surrounds me on a daily basis. In closing, I just want to say THANK YOU to you all. To anyone who has ever had a kind thought about me, said a prayer, been patient with me, read a blog, supported my business, re-posted anything, everything... ALL OF IT! I’m so grateful for acts of kindness and warmth. I hope to be able to continue to pour out and pay it forward. I pray that you all have an amazing day and are living in your enoughness!
-Lo
