The 10 days of self care

Ten days that were more like six, the other days where weekends. This post is about the second part of the 10 days.

I had been a little down about my work, I have officially called it early mourning. I am not necessarily feeling my mojo is here. While I love what I do, I think that after 10 years I really have to make a change, meet new people and new energy.  It’s time.

I had scheduled 10 days off (months in advance) so I looked forward to them.

Half of my 10 days off involved a meeting with a spiritual healer. Meeting with one of my mentors and meeting with a friend.  I cried every time I felt I needed to release pain. I attended a water healing session.

I also shopped, I did lots of shopping.  I slept.  I took naps, lots of them.  I watched lots of reality T.V.   I did not keep to any specific diet (I am a queen of dieting-and-over eating). I played with my children. I picked them up every day from school and took them on car rides to eat ice cream and to the park.

And just like that, the magic began.

I noticed that most of the clothing I had purchased was not black (one of my everyday colors). I received a phone call to apply for a job with an amazing organization. Trying to not-give-in to responsibility, I took an extra day to prepare/submit.  It had been 10 years since I purposely updated my resume. It took me two hours of dedicated desk time to put one together.

I also updated my LinkedIn. I updated my profile picture. I love my new picture; it was only #3 of a series of #selfies.

The same afternoon, I received a call about scheduling time for a potential consulting job. I also finalized the idea of working with a coach, a gift that was offered to me just a few weeks before. I did research on starting my own business and starting an LLC.

I had lunch almost every day with my amazing husband. I also mailed a special request to my sister, which I had pending for almost a year.

Friday and my last official day off; I purchased this blog space and I started writing. Writing had been an idea that I had been contemplating for way too long and now it is alive.

What changed? Everything. I could make a list.

My outlook in life. My outlook and my ability to create my own happiness. I owe it to the first part of my 10 days, spending time pampering myself. In my spiritual healing, I was told that I was too hard on myself and that I needed to be more flexible which I hate to admit but it’s true, I’m a Virgo. I am the worst of my critics. My water healing session reminded me to breath. Underwater I heard my own heartbeat and was reminded that I have the tools to start fresh.

My mentor told me to take on that coach and to use it to grow. I also received amazing feedback from her and my friends about starting my own business (the work that it takes, that sometimes its hard and lonely) but also that they believed that I could pull off. I also received great resources to do it.

Within my shopping experience, I wanted my clothing to reflect the positive person that I had become or that I want to be. I want to limit dark colors.

Within that, I will no longer mourn the possible exit of my 10-year job. I am grateful for the past 10 years of my career having taken flight within these walls. The many individuals, community members, and members in the affordable housing advocacy I have met. In addition to the many headaches I have had which made me grow a backbone. My abilities to speak in public. Run a financial proforma and putting a financial package together for funding. The millions of dollars I have helped secured for housing. The many families that have been affected positively because of my work. Lastly, the fact that I have gained so much knowledge over the years that will someday help me in creating my business.

The many individuals and everyone who I have learned from, people with big hearts who believed in my abilities and helped in my growth. Life soon will change. May not be easy or comfortable but I am happy to continue pursuing the positive outlook that has brought me back to life.

This post is for those losing hope and needing the extra push.

This is my first blog post that goes live.