Self Love 9 months ago by Liz Adams

Where We Are

It has been a while since I sat down to write a blog post about feelings. Ha! And honestly, I had to look through my wellness archives because more often than not these posts can get repetitive. When I asked what you all wanted to see from me this summer, I had a few people ask about accepting the “looseness” of summer while also feeling behind or like you’re not doing enough. So I thought about that.

I’ve changed in the past couple of years. And obviously, my situation is different because I work for myself, I get to set expectations and boundaries for my business/life. In the past year (especially since having George), my business has taken a back seat to mothering and managing a household. Instead of feeling like I’m not doing enough or either of my jobs “well,” I’ve sort of settled into really enjoying the pull of both. So much so that I’ve realized how content I can be in the chaos of life and work if I learn to just accept it for what it is and know that every day (for the most part), I show up the best that I can.

And I’ve really let go of comparison. Feeling like my life isn’t as beautiful as others that I see on Instagram, or I’m not cooking enough meals or growing my businesses or hustling or whatever other negative feelings I used to get from social media. I don’t feel that any more. Because I feel validated in the happiness my kids wake up with every single day, spending more dedicated time with them, sharing what really feels valuable to me – with you. I’ve cut out the fluff and really just focused on the joy. Fewer, better – right?

And again, I am not reporting to a corporate job every day but I have no doubt that if you’re in a career that you love and a job that you respect and people respect you, that anyone would appreciate boundaries that you set for yourself. Everyone deserves to live their life, first. And will it always be like this or is it a summer mindset taking over – I don’t know? But I think I want this mindset to be permanent. Because I think that it took me a long time (at the ripe age of 35, ha!) to realize that there is no end game here. There is just life.

I am not striving to be the best of the best in my industry. Hello Adams Family and my Instagram and our private Facebook Group, all of it is meant to encourage you to be happy right where you are. To not constantly be seeking something greater, but instead open your eyes to how wonderful life can be right now if you just give yourself the chance to enjoy it. And I can write these posts over and over but I think in sharing these daily moments that are unbranded, unfiltered, inconsistent and messy – I’ve learned how beautiful and ON BRAND they are for me. Honestly, thank you for letting me get to this point. It took me many years of feeling like the images weren’t pretty enough to realize how much I love the images of my life.

So I say enjoy the looseness of summer! Give yourself a break. Take a deep breath. Sit in the grass. Take off your shoes. Let your hair air dry. Get a sun tan. Go for a walk without music or a podcast or a book. Listen to the sounds of the world around you. Watch the wind blow through the trees. Get dirty. Skip bath time. Sit on the couch. Let your kids watch iPads. Clean the kitchen tomorrow. Wear mismatched pajamas. Eat the fucking cookie. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Let yourself be a child, too. Be adventurous. Ask for alone time. Book the babysitter. Get your kids the happy meal. Close your eyes. Breathe in the air. Feel still right where you are.

xoxo

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  1. “…there is no end game here. There is just life.” I love that and needed to see it in someone else! I just had a baby and left my teaching job to stay at home with her. It’s totally what I wanted, and I feel truly grateful to be in a place to do it, but I’ve been feeling so strange without the hustle to finish the next thing on the list or the anticipation of the next important event, break, or deadline on the calendar. Our days are still valuable even if we don’t have the traditional work to fill them—our time spent just living might be most valuable of all. Thanks for sharing what’s on your heart and mind, Liz! Finding connections is so important.

  2. Thank you for helping me to be ok with stopping for a moment and enjoying the wonderful sunshine! I needed to hear your words today, thank you for that!

  3. Love this! I was def one of the ones who asked about handling the “looseness” of summer. It’s not easy for me to let go of the routine, expectations, work, but maybe it’s a mindset shift more than clear prescriptive action. Either way, appreciate this conversation, Liz.

  4. You’re writing is so REAL and honest. I am really trying to just enjoy the business of life with 2 small kids as well. We are in this stage for so little, we might as well enjoy it, instead of stressing over it.

  5. I had to screen shot that last paragraph so I can look at it every morning. Such a good reminder and oddly better getting “permission” to do all those things. Cheers 🍪

  6. Love love your content — it feels…like me! Something so refreshing and calming to read your insights and see your photos when they so resonate with my own thoughts and experiences. Connection is so important; we are not alone. You validate and inspire me and my own messy beautiful life!