The journey of unlearning is long and difficult but absolutely rewarding. It involves a lot of self-reflection and pain-staking honesty. It could involve therapy and looking back at the past in order to dig out roots of insecurities and/or childhood traumas. It’s silly but I like to name chapters of my life as if I was writing my own book. The chapter that correlates to these last three years of my life are titled, “unlearning” – as it was a time where I was really bent back and forth by life to self-reflect and analyze my actions, desires and potential. I realized quickly that there were many insecurities I’ve collected throughout the years that have inhibited my growth and journey to self-actualization. Through therapy, deep reflection, meditation, and lots of trial and error– I’ve learned a lot through this unlearning process and wanted to share some lessons with you all! Here are 4 reminders that I would encourage all of you to unlearn if you’re struggling:
Unlearn: Ignoring your own boundaries and sacrificing your voice to avoid conflict
Unlearn: Making yourself smaller – not believing in yourself and believing your worth is correlated to your productivity
Unlearn: Not celebrating your accomplishments because of comparison to others
Unlearn: Not asking for help due to trauma-rooted hyper independence
Here are 4 affirmations or additional reminders that I hope will help you as you continue forward this year:
You are worthy of creating a beautiful and secure life free from judgment and comparison
You define your worth and not society, not institutions, not other individuals
You move at your own pace, and that pace is perfect for you
You can create joy with everything you already have
So, what would the chapter of this period of your life be titled? How will you cultivate joy with all the opportunities you have in front of you this year?