Remember the episode of Sex in the City where Charlotte had all those affirmations written on post-it notes all over her bathroom mirror? I thought, Poor thing, you need a post-it note to remind you that you’re great. And, at that time, that’s how I felt. Seemed like just about everything I tried was working. I was happy. Doesn’t take a wise man to know it was temporary because, well, it’s life.
This was years before COVID-19. Before my bankruptcy. Before I had to let go of my condo, move back home and start over. When I moved to Houston, I didn’t have a pot to piss in. I was sleeping on the floor of a townhouse with multiple roommates. Granted, it was a nice townhouse but a far cry from my two-bedroom condo by the lake in Chicago.
It was rough. I would’ve loved to wake up to an affirmation or two! That was the stage I was in at the time. I needed a little bit more enforcement. A little bit more support because I was definitely more Charlotte and less me. And you know what? It’s ok. Some days are Mondays and some days are Fridays. Knowing what you need for each is what’s important.
I’ve gone from not only reading self-help books to using affirmations as my login passwords. I remind myself that going through a hard time is not necessarily a reflection of my decisions or failures. Sometimes life takes over and we have to respond. But how I respond to a Monday vs a Friday is completely up to me. Do I read an affirmation or a self-help book and automatically feel better? No. But it reminds me to try; to hang in there; and, to never ever ever ever give up.
Take that Monday!