Hey there,

Is it just me, or is this year absolutely flying?!?

With this month being my birthday month, I have taken the time, and the space to reflect and evaluate my life up to this point.

Over the last few years, I have learned to like who I am. I’m a continual work in progress, striving to grow and evolve as a person and to embrace any opportunity that may come my way. In order to do these things, things had to get uncomfortable. And I needed to step outside of my comfort zone…

All of my life I have been a people pleaser.

I embraced the ” I aim to please” approach within all aspects of my life. Making others lives run smoothly, whether I wanted to or not, was what I did.

Now, I genuinely love supporting the people that I hold dear to me, but I have learned that I don’t have to lose sight of myself in doing so.

It’s taken a long while, but I’m finally at a place where I know what I will, and will not accept from others any more.

Learning to say no to situations and people have been the hardest thing I’ve had to rewire myself to do. At the same time, it’s also been surprisingly liberating!

This has presented “problems” along the way; feedback that I have changed. No, I’ve not “changed”. I’ve always been who I am; this means that I’ve learned…. learned that it’s ok to think of myself.

If something isn’t resonating with me, it’s ok to walk away from it.

It’s ok to choose who I allow into my space.

It’s ok to no longer tolerate disrespect from others.

I am also learning that how I am treated by others isn’t necessarily about me….

I didn’t start this year with a ”new year, new me” attitude. My approach to this year has been all about self-growth. Expanding on the me I’ve always been.

If that meant I’ve made others uncomfortable; that’s on them.

I’ve cleaned up the energy that I accept into my space.

I’m freely expressing all aspects and dimensions of who I am. I no longer want to “hide” behind an image of how I “should” look or behave. As much as there is still (unfortunately)a stigma attached to mental illness; I’m open to sharing my past mental health issues. I’m now open to address how I embrace mental wellness. And surprisingly, this too makes others uncomfortable.

This is on them, not me. How others feel about me, is their business, not mine. And that’s ok!

What is my business is, that I’m no longer a people pleaser; it’s detrimental to my own wellbeing.

As my birthday month comes to a close, I am thankful and full of gratitude to all of the events that have to lead me to the here and now. I am who I am because of those events. Those events and people have all played their part in shaping, moulding and encouraging me to be unapologetically me.

I encourage you to do the same.

Step into your truth.

Embrace who you are.

And if that upsets anyone; well that’s on them!

Until next time, take care of you.

Trene x