1. HOW YOU FEEL
Emotions have a will of their own and we are all just trying our best to understand ourselves. Throw in hormones and you have a real mess to sort through. It’s not easy. Never apologise for how you feel or for losing your equilibrium. Each day is a fresh slate if your heart is in the right place.
2. SPEAKING YOUR MIND
If it’s necessary and it has come from the right place, say it. Swallowed words, left unspoken, fester like rotten fruit in the soul. They poison. Get them out.
3. NEEDING TO BE ALONE
You don’t have to give yourself up every minute of every day – you need some of you too. Guard your you time like a dog with a bone. It’s vital.
4. WHO YOU ARE
If you need to edit yourself or your past to be accepted, you are in the wrong place. Be you, only you can be you, so you may as well go for it.
5. MAKING MISTAKES
We all make them, we are all better for every mistake we make, even if that takes some time to realise. It’s part of life, it makes you human. Never feel ashamed, own it, call yourself out on it and save those who wait in judgement the bother.
6. ASKING FOR HELP
Sometimes life can be completely overwhelming, and in those moments, asking for help is absolutely the right thing to do. It does not show weakness and you have not failed.
7. DOING WELL
We should all want to do well and we should all be delighted when others are too. If someone is not delighted for you, it is absolutely, 100%, their issue not yours.
8. SAYING NO
Whatever you want to do, you can, you absolutely can – but you don’t necessarily have to. Nor do you have to do what others want you to do, just because you are capable. Never feel beholden, you will not please everyone no matter how far you bend or stretch anyway.
9. TAKING TIME TO REPLY
Most of our adult life is spent apologising for not being in touch enough/ answering quickly enough and so on. Life is fast ladies – we are all doing our best. That should just be silently understood.
10. IMPERFECTION
If you are not spinning plates all day every day then girl, you are not alive! We all drop plates, we all lose our way, we all mess up. We can’t always look great, dress the part and have a tidy house. Some days it’s survival we aim for, other days we can guild the lily. Whatever state you are to be found in, do not apologise for it. This is you, this day. It may not be you tomorrow, but maybe it will. Doesn’t matter. This, my friend, is real life, and we are real women. Surround yourself with those who see through all that crap and you are winning.
Ladies, pass it on…
Donna Ashworth
LPIO 2018
