Dear Friends,
I've never written a letter like this before, but I wanted to create a space to share thoughts, gain insights, and hopefully share a few giggles along the way. This weekly letter will highlight lessons I've learned throughout my life, recount the wild times on the road in a caravan, and share those enlightening moments with my incredible coaching clients, which simply must be shared.
Who should read this? These letters are for all those incredible women who, like me, might have found themselves comparing, judging, hating, belittling, and just plain being mean to themselves. They are for those who have been daughters, wives, workers, homemakers, sisters, aunties, mothers, grandmothers, and everything in between.
So, how do I share this story? Would anyone want to hear it? What if I have nothing to say? These are the thoughts that haunted me each time I attempted to write this letter. It was exhausting, but as those who have succeeded in life often tell me: Action speaks louder than words. So, I can't just say I want to write; I must take the leap of faith and just do it. Here we go!
We all talk in stories, sharing memories that often define who we are and how we think and believe. I've found that I often share the story of myself as a mother, the story where my world was turned upside down when I realised I knew nothing about parenthood. I was fantastic at being pregnant—oh, how I flourished with all the love and admiration for my big belly and eating for two! But the 'mom' part was challenging, at least initially. Breastfeeding (the nurses' expressions each time I stopped was confirmation enough of my struggles), the myth that the baby weight would just drop off, and the final blow, "they must sleep through the night"... (I've learned to let that one go). But after four years on the job, I truly believe I am pretty epic. I haven't figured it all out yet, and I know it changes as they grow older, but it has taken me four years to acknowledge my own awesomeness as a mom, and I know I am going to do great things with my insanely wonderful daughter.
So, what story do I share? Where do I begin? Did my need for clarity, inner harmony, self-understanding, and love really start after motherhood? I work with incredible women who are mothers and those who aren't, yet we all share similar demons of self-doubt, fear, and insecurities. When I think about it, I realise that my reason for becoming a Life Coach didn't start when I became a mother, although those feelings were certainly amplified by disturbed sleep and a sense of losing control. If I look in the mirror and ask myself when all these thoughts started, I know they probably began when I was much younger and have developed throughout my life. On some days, I could quiet them or drown them out by going out and having fun. But it's funny how, in the darkest moments, like trying to feed a baby with sore breasts, they flood back; they reared their ugly heads when I returned to the workforce, and when I catch a glimpse of my reflection, I don't recognise the woman looking back.
I've been on this journey for a few years now, looking inward, unlocking the meaning of my past, and changing my internal dialogue. I have incredible days, and I have some crappy days. But even on the crappy ones, I notice each time I recover quicker, I learn from them, and I move forward—because isn't that what it's all about? Being able to learn from the rough moments and move on stronger? I wholeheartedly believe that we can change our futures and those of our kids and the people we love most by first changing how we feel about ourselves. We can indeed be the difference, the one to change the narrative of our family and create a life filled with our own definitions of greatness, success, love, and true joy.
Thank you for allowing me to share this passion with you each week, to be part of your journey through this incredible thing we call life, and to hopefully, in some small way, bring you clarity, inner harmony, and deep self-love.
The quote I carry with me each day to keep me moving forward is from Winnie the Pooh: "In order to become the butterfly, you need to be willing to let go of the caterpillar."
Love,
Vikki
P.S.: We will explore different topics and thoughts each week, so feel free to request topics you want to read about or thoughts you want to express and share in this space.