Welcome to the very first Wednesdays with Whit of 2021. *gasp*

Seriously. Despite all the good and bad things that happened in 2020, the year went by so extremely fast for me.

How are you doing? Do you have any goals or resolutions for this year?

2020 was a hard year for many people.

We had to welcome our new normal of mask-wearing and social distancing. Some people lost their jobs; others lost their lives. Some people developed a mental health condition because of everything that happened; others had their pre-existing condition intensify.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t really like the “new year new me” phrase- it isn’t a phrase that I want to live by this year. Don’t get me wrong, I am passionate about self-improvement, and I understand the importance of setting smart goals and accomplishing them…

But why do we have to put so much pressure on ourselves to be some “new” version of ourselves just because it is a new year?

What if I told you that who you are, is OK?

What if I told you that every single day that you are still here is a day that you are winning?

There’s something different about myself this year, though. Maybe that’s what has me thinking this way. You see, I actually like who I am right now.

I like the woman I’ve become, and I’ve fought hard to become her!

Do you like who you are? OK okay to be the real you. Do not change who you are so that people will like you. Be yourself, and the right people will love you. 🙂

Do what is best for you. If that is setting a new year’s resolution to lose weight, do that. If you want to set a goal to save money this year, do it. Maybe you want to learn a new language, travel more, or make new friends… whatever it is, you can do it.

Something I want to do this year is learn to love myself more. I want to fight just as hard for my physical health and wellbeing as I do for my mental health and stability.

As you go about your day-to-day life, keep this in mind:

We can be strong, and still be soft. We can be independent, and still need support. We can be direct, and still be kind. We can be a leader, and still need guidance. We can be understanding, and still have boundaries. Finally, we can be a listener, and still have a voice.

I learned that from my affirmation journal called “Today I Affirm.”

I hope that your year has had a good start, and I will see you next week for Wednesdays with Whit.

Thank you for reading!