what i'm learning: 12.21.18 + the winter solstice
I’ve been wanting to do more personal update type posts and I feel like now is the perfect time to start. I’ve been reading a lot about the solstice and the energies around both the solstice + the last full moon of the year. My conclusion: it’s a major time of transition and I’ve definitely been feeling it.
I’ve always noticed it for myself outside of the context of astrology or any other alternative approach. I go through periods of intense motivation and periods of sluggishness. Energetic shifts can have a large impact on your personal energy. It’s the reason that things can go a little haywire at the full moon every month. So I’ve been researching a little more into what energy shifts are happening. While I definitely don’t think this is a hard and fast rule, I’ve noticed that this particular shift, the winter solstice, has certainly reflected in my personal energy as well.
The last year has been fun + full of change, but the last few weeks have been slow and I’ve felt largely unmotivated which sometimes terrifies me. I identified something: that I was resisting the rest/space that I obviously needed. My willingness to accept that I might need time and space to rest and not constantly be ‘doing,’ that’s something that I need to improve on. Moving from a force/hustle mentality was something I thought I was done with, but without my productivity, I reverted to feeling like I ‘should’ be doing X amount of work and that’s not what I want for myself. I’d like to get comfortable with being in periods of down-time.
I have this guilt that crops up sometimes - well really, a lot of the time. If I feel like I’m not doing enough or being enough or working enough or getting enough results. And I know that it’s not good for me to let that guilt get to me. So last week I got to practice being patient with myself even though I was feeling down and not doing as much work as I would’ve liked. And when I was able to give myself grace, I felt better and in turn got more done. This is going to be an intention that I take into the new year - be patient + trust.
On a lighter note, this is pretty much my recipe for a winter outfit. I can’t stop wearing these boots because they’re so comfortable and easy to get on/off. Plus this is the jacket I never knew I needed. It was a gift to me from someone’s donation pile and I’ve gotten so much wear out of it. Easy to throw over just about anything, long but not too long, light + still warm - the perfect coat. Grab the links to the products here.
All that to say, this is what I’ve been working with over the past few weeks. I hope showing a little glimpse into my challenges (and wins) will be an honest look at what goes on behind the scenes so it’s not always sunshine + unicorns - even though I definitely shoot for sunshine + unicorns!
