I was thumbing through a journal I started about 5 years ago. I’m still writing in that journal, which tells you that I don’t write all that often. But I used to. And it was an incredible outlet for processing and creativity.
That’s a lot of what this blog is about. It’s my outlet. Topics will be whatever I feel is important to share with the world. So you’ll see a lot about health, nutrition, and fitness. But also a decent amount of entries on human connection, emotional intelligence, personal growth. And let’s be honest, a decent amount of jumbled thoughts.
We are SO receptive to the messaging put in front of us. It’s so easy to be influenced by the
information we receive. I think it’s important to be selective around the sources we take in. My hope is that this will be a positive platform to encourage critical thinking, reflection and discussion. That’s not to say it won’t be opinionated. I won’t spend a lot of time fact checking sources. The point isn’t to convince you, as a reader, of anything. It’s to provoke thought.
At the beginning of this journal that began in 2016, I wrote a list to myself - My 12 Commandments. Pretty sure the idea came from a self-help book I was reading at the time - twenty-five year old me, who was going through a quarter-life crisis, was really into those.
Here they are:
Be Katie. Listen to my own alignment
Act the way you want to feel (aka do things you don't want to if they make you who you want to be)
No guilt, no shame
Put people first. At the end of this life your relationships will matter most
Do good, feel good - for others and self
See the big picture
Be flexible. Work to pivot and adjust
Lighten up. Laugh everyday.
One thing at a time
Be genuine
Start where you are
Be present.
I guess today we’re working on #11. A lot of these are things I feel I still have room to grow in, and probably always will. Five years in and I still think these 12 items remind me to live authentically. If I can say I’ve gone through most of my days abiding by them I’m fairly certain I’ll feel peace. From this seat, twenty-five year old me seems pretty wise. She definitely went through some shit (and you’ll learn about that if you continue to tune into this) but she deserves some credit for her insight too.
What are your guiding principles? Are they clear? And do you remind yourself of them often?
Thanks for tuning in. Until next time.
-Katie