A Few Thoughts on Getting Up When You're Down

Do you ever feel like a fraud? Like you don't understand why anyone would trust your advice, or how you ever got to the place you did? That you secretly feel like you have no idea what you're doing and soon everyone is going to find out and you'll get called out for it and your jig is going to be up for good? Me too.

It can be really tough when you're questioning everything you are, constantly getting hit by wave after wave of shit days and weeks. It's like the second you find your footing, another wave comes along and takes you down again and before long, the undertow turns you into a rag doll.

While I love to use this platform as a space for positivity, I feel like it's important to remember that these feelings are also part of the human experience, and there's no shame in being vulnerable (*she repeats to herself as her finger quivers above the share button*). I also know that just hearing of people being in a similar place has an eerily comforting effect; no one is truly alone here, and that's somehow a beautiful thing. So I wanted to be sure to tell you this:

If the last few days, weeks, or months have tossed you around and have you reevaluating everything, feeling like a fraud, or maybe just feeling lost, know that you are not alone here. We all struggle with our identity, our worth, with being accepted by our communities, with the value in our work, with finding our path. Sometimes these worries hum quietly in the background while we enjoy the present, and sometimes they are a full on steam engine blaring in our brain all day long. No matter how currently consumed (or not) we are by these thoughts, we ALL have them.

No one (no one!) has it all figured out. In one way or another, we're all just trying to get our shit together, on repeat until the end of time. It's ok to just sit and feel these waves sometimes, but always remember you're not alone.

Keep your head up, celebrate the small stuff, take back control where you can and let the rest go. Figure out what makes you happy and do more of that.

Trust in your knowledge, have faith in your experience, and believe in your value. You can do this.💜