05.
IDA (II):
Self-care
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Having spacious mornings to tend to myself, and waking up without an alarm. Honouring the boundary I’ve set with myself and my self-promise to have this space has really supported my well-being.
Eating breakfast first thing in the morning, daily meditation, writing, and movement in its own flow based on what I feel my body needs each day. Going to the beach almost every day, getting sunshine, nature, slow walks, expressing my emotions, letting my feelings flow in a safe space, singing, crying, screaming, laughing, dancing…
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04.
IDA
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The part of me I had been hiding was now visible to the world. I didn’t look at myself for a while. But after I got over the initial discomfort, it felt, this is me, this is who I am. I was coming into my self, my skin, shedding the one that the world had put on me.
At first, I just trimmed my hair myself, for fun. Just one inch. But every inch gave me such a lightness. So I kept cutting until it was a bob, and that difference was energetic weight being lifted. That was when I thought: Why don’t I shave my head? Hair can grow back. I think it was also like an experiment for me—to see how people reacted to me looking different. Would they love me less without my hair? I mean, yesterday I had hair, and I’m literally the same person today without.
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03.
FELINE
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(S)itting in a restaurant full of groups of two, three, or four or more feels intimidating—at least at first. I know I’ve definitely been there. But with practice, I’ve come to feel that dining alone is one of the most achievable things I can do to empower myself. Admittedly, I do still feel self-conscious being alone at a bar, but not enough to stop myself from dressing up, buying flowers, booking a table for one, and ordering whatever comes to mind.
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02.
JOY
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When I was younger, I relied more on my external, superficial beauty. Now, I feel most beautiful when I am in my power, which comes from within. It’s not power over others, it is the power of being authentic and expressing my purpose. It’s an inner power that exists when you are on the right path, and begin to truly know yourself…
I am married with four boys, a stepdaughter, a dog and a business. There is very little time for myself, but being a mother and businesswoman is a part of my self expression, so it does not feel that way. Creating one’s life is filled with choices. I embrace mine.
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01.
VIVIEN
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I caught myself in a moment of jealousy on social media, and that saltiness (especially towards someone who’s objectively super wonderful) definitely made me feel far from beautiful. But! The beauty of learning lies in reflection and recalibration. It is definitely still a work-in-progress, but I’ve found it quite effective to consciously work on identifying comparisons that (most of the time) are quite pointless, and then logically reasoning myself out of ugly feelings.