Grace with Yourself

Happy almost hump day!  Who can’t wait for Friday? MEEEE! 
So…I’ve been reading this really awesome, motivating, and inspiring book called “Grace Not Perfection” by Emily Ley. I honestly picked it up off the shelf at Target because of its very “ME” hot pink and gold cover. I read the summary and fell in love- I felt like it was exactly the kind of book I needed during this time of self-exploration. 

I am a little more than halfway through and man was I right. The cover is as attractive as the inside-it is so incredibly relatable to things I have or am going through, and it’s totally what I needed to push me to make some much-needed changes to my life and continue to remain positive and motivated.

Reading before bed the other night, I stumbled across this page entitled “Grace with Yourself” (see right).  The whole book and this particular page focuses on how important it is to truly take care of yourself, give yourself permission to slow down, enjoy life, and find ways to live simply because often times those are the most rewarding means of truly living with yourself and those around you. 

This page struck me for so many reasons. One intriguing part was how we often care about everyone around us so much more than ourselves… and well,  that’s a damn shame. I know I always want to be the best to everyone, but at the end of the day, if I am not caring for myself, I am not able to help, support, or love anyone to my fullest potential. Emily said, “Your body is a vessel of love, and your heart is well. Neglect yourself, and your heart will run dry. Care for yourself, as you would a loved one, and your heart will brim with the good stuff of life: patience, love, kindness, and empathy.” That line struck me and I have held it with me all week. I want my heart to be full, vibrant, and alive, so that I can truly make an impact on the lives of those I love, those I work with, and in fact,  everyone I encounter- whether that is at the grocery store or the waiter at the restaurant. 

The page continued by nixing the concept of perfection- that sounds like music to my ears. Something I have begun to realize is that perfection is not always the family that looks like they have it all together, the girl at work that shows up looking amazing every day, or the college friend who got married and seems to have it all together. At the end of the day, perfection looks different to each and every one. My perfection looks very different than yours and that is a beautiful thing. In the book, Emily talks a ton about how she thought perfection was being the “perfect wife and mother” aka having a clean and tidy home and dinner on the table every night. In reality, she came to realize that she was not only getting herself sick trying to reach this level of perfection while juggling her own million-dollar business and raising her family, but she was loosing out on special times in her life and those of her children and family.  She began to realize her perfection may consist of a messy house for a night or pizza for dinner as a family on the living room floor. Some “messy” moments can equal perfection for Emily and sometimes it can equal perfection for all of us.
I encourage you all to pick up a copy of this book! Explore where you can simplify your life to find your own perfection in the midst of the chaos of what we call life. I challenge you to find grace with yourself this week…Signing out!
“The days are long, but the years are short.” – Gretchen Rubin
XOXOKristin