CRUSH IT!

by Shalonda Archibald, NJLA Board Member

"Love is giving yourself a chance." It's giving yourself a chance to do whatever it is that you need to do for yourself. As I've continued along this journey to self: self awareness, self love, self confidence, self compassion, self respect, just overall SELFFULNESS, I've begun to feel the happiest I've ever felt in my life. I am now able to show up in relationships as I truly am...who I was before the world told me who to be.

Happiness is an inside job. External people or things didn't make me happy. They couldn't.

My happiness isn't the responsibility of others. I've learned that on this journey more than anything else. The emptiness, the longing, the missing sense of belonging will show up and taint every area of your life until you face it and find the courage to look all that hurt, despair, resentment, fear in the face and CRUSH IT. Crushing that hurt has been hard work for me. It's been a loooong process too. However, I will say that the cliche, "what's easy won't be worth it and what's worth it won't be easy," is so true.

I'm extremely grateful that I gave myself a chance. I have so much more appreciation for life and all that it entails now. Day by day I'm improving in the way I show up for myself resulting in improvements in my relationship with others. It's nice to be seen, valued, adored, respected, and LOVED. It's even better when we show up that way for ourselves.

The late, great Whitney Houston sang,

"The greatest love of all

Is easy to achieve

Learning to love yourself

Is the greatest love of all"

Whitney was so right. How will you love yourself today? I bought myself flowers, cooked a meal of my choice, drank massive water and gave myself permission to simply be. Give yourself a chance today and choose to love.