The Importance of Investing in Yourself and Doing the Right Thing

Sometimes it feels like one horror story after the other. Doesn’t it? My heart is aching once again for the victims of yet another shooting, this time in Texas.

I thought about what I wanted to talk about this morning and wanted it to be something we could grab hold of and use TODAY. So, I chose to write on doing good. Doing what is RIGHT. And, our mental well-being. Because it’s SO important, as proven by recent events.

Last night as we were driving home from our mini-weekend-vacation (we celebrated my birthday in Reno and it was lovely – thank you for the birthday wishes!) I got a text from Sim about the Texas shooting. My stomach sank to the pit of my being.

Again? 

My next thought was not only a thought but a feeling that was felt throughout my whole body.

Mental health is so important. 

Do you guys feel the weight of this right now too? How important mental health is? I just think to myself… how could the world be different if we all (every single one of us) heavily invested in our mental well being?

If your hand is raised, are you investing in your mental well being? Are you investing in and working on the parts of yourself that are stressed? Weighed down? Overwhelmed? The part of you that feels overlooked? Are you taking time to pause and care for yourself?

I really want to beg this question of us. Are we being examples of investing in ourselves? Are we taking the time to lift up other people? To stop and listen? To encourage them? To hear others?

I’m sure, if you’re anything like me, you’re wondering what you can do when issues like this pop up. Sometimes it doesn’t seem like much. You can donate, pray, create awareness… etc… but I think we can also work on ourselves.

Your life has a ripple affect. Every single one of you. Mine too! 

How are you ALREADY using your ripple effect? How would you like to use it more? What is one good thing you can do today to positively impact your world? Who can you have more patience with today? Who can you listen to? Who can you check on? Get in touch with?

The day after the Vegas shooting Marco and I went to Target. It felt like the store was full of a bunch of zombies walking around, including us. Like we were all feeling the weight of… what the heck just happened.

Stunned. 

When we finished shopping we walked out to the car and were unloading the cart as we noticed a little red deodorant tucked into the corner of our very red cart. Did you pay for that? No. Did you? No. 

Back inside to pay.

It was such a small thing, but such a moment of “No, this isn’t right, and right now the world needs more of what IS right.” That moment stands out to me because it reminds me that no matter what it is, no matter how big or small, we need to do MORE of what is right.

Questions for you today if you’re wondering how you can do your part in caring for yourself and those around you. These questions are for reflection, so take your time with them.

1. What are your values? When you look back on your life, where do you want to have spent your time? How do you want to have felt? What do you want to remember?
2. Where are you currently spending your time? How do you currently feel?
3. Where do you feel “off” balance? (When we’re off balance, it usually means we’re giving more time to one value vs. another – it’s okay and very normal to not be balanced 100% of the time, so have grace with yourselves here). To which areas would you like to realign and give more of your attention?
4. Who can you check in on? Listen to? Who can you help to feel heard?
5. What is something “right” and “good” that you can do today? Will you remember this post when you come to a crossroads of choosing what is the right thing to do today?
6. Who can you encourage today? Who can you help? Who can you give a compliment to? Who can you spend time with?

The topic of what we can do to help in situations like this is never ending, right? There’s a lot we can do. This post is not an “all you can do” post. It’s simply one tiny corner of the internet with one perspective of what I feel like we can do for ourselves, on the topic of mental health.

If you’re struggling with your mental health, please, reach out. Get help. There’s no shame in getting help (I friggin’ loved counseling – it changed the way I thought about a lot of things). You do not have to stay stuck.

Invest in yourself, no matter the cost.

Clients who reach out for coaching, for example, notice a problem in their lives and are no longer willing to suffer. Rather, they’re ready to stand up, ask for support, and move forward no matter the cost. Imagine if we could all take this initiative for the areas where we need help?

Your health in not an expense, it’s an investment in your future and the future of those you affect. 

News flash: we all need help! Where are you getting support? Where are you currently investing in yourself?

Reach out to a counselor, reach out to a coach, reach out to a friend. Start where you are, do what you can, but talk to someone. Get support. You are supported. It’s your job to say “I would like to talk to someone, I’m going to reach out.”

Have a game plan. 

When you feel down or you’re doubting yourself, who will you reach out to? When you’re struggling with your relationship to food and your body and confidence, who will you ask for help? When you’re struggling with depression, who can you reach out to? What will you choose to fill your mind with every single day?

I could ask a million questions on this topic. But I’ll end here for now. 

To all of the women who work with me in coaching. Thank you. Thank you for not only investing in yourselves with me, but investing in yourselves in general. For working on yourselves to be better for the world and those you love. I love and respect you so much for this.

To all of you who invest in yourselves through coaching, counseling, or any other outlet that betters your mental health and takes courage to say “yes!” to, thank you!

Again, I ask…

• What areas of your life are feeling good right now?
• What areas of your life are feeling stressful? Heavy? Hard to figure out?
• How will you get support? Why is it worth it for you to get support?

I hope this post was helpful and moving for many of you. It was heavy on my heart today, so thank you all for allowing me to express this to you and with you! I am here for you.

If you would like to talk with me, specifically, you can reach me for a free Discover Session by entering your name and email here. You can also hop on Google and search for local counselors if that’s what you need most. (And if you’re in Ventura, I can recommend someone!)