SUCCESS
WORD FUEL ART:
Affirmation- “I measure success in my own way.”
Color Therapy- Pink is a nurturing and loving color, encouraging self-compassion & care.
Photograph- I photographed these beautiful blooming Indian Azaleas during March at Forsyth Park in Savannah, GA.
Happy International Women’s Day! Today I am incredibly grateful to all the women who have fought for the freedoms we enjoy today and those who continue to define success for themselves- on their own terms.
The word Success has been on my mind recently as I realized I am in the process of rewriting what the word means to me- in my 40s—something I was not expecting.
After spending my 20s and 30s in the corporate environment with a focus on “climbing the ladder," I decided to get off it in 2019 and that I wanted something different. I also decided around that time that kids, and thus grandchildren, were not going to be in my future, only to be told by my doctor in 2020 that it actually wasn't my choice after all. I couldn't have kids, which solidified the decision and my back and forth with it. So, at the beginning of my 40s, I am working on laying a new foundation for my life that will take me in a different direction than I have seen modeled by any of the women in my family or than I had ever envisioned for myself. I find my lack of a roadmap and my independence exciting and overwhelming at the same time. I also find myself looking for examples of women that have embraced and celebrated a different way of living out their 40s and beyond. I want to contribute to society and leave our earth a little better, but differently, than women have traditionally been told they should. I also want to define what success looks like for myself, and by doing that, alleviate some of the pressure I put on myself when accomplishments aren't accompanied by a lot of dollar signs or don’t fit into society's traditional definition. Writing about this process and sharing it with anyone who may find it helpful is, in return, helpful for me.
So, thank you to all the brave women that have shown up in my life in small and large ways.
I would love to know- What is your definition of success?!
