I did it!!!
 
After 7 years of school and 2.5 years of building my private practice (which was always my dream) here I am - a Licensed Professional Counselor!

Creating an intention sets the tone and guides your decision making. Instead of setting the same ole' goal every year and giving up half way through, try to connect to the overall theme or a feeling you'd like to experience more often in the new year.

Stuckness is a state of mind, not a fact.
 
Maybe you are at crossroads, having to choose which way to go.

Maybe you’re standing still because you’re scared to make a decision and the longer you’re waiting and negotiating your options, the more stuck you feel.

Being awake to life and living it bravely sometimes means we will be faced with difficult things we didn't want or choose. It is simply the fact of life. Bad, uncomfortable, scary, unpredictable things happen.

We use the power of our imagination all the time, but we often use it to imagine scenarios that disempower us and make us feel limited.

​Any disempowering identities and negative beliefs we hold about ourselves were developed out of a necessity and adaptation to our circumstances.

When you harbor negative feelings and thoughts towards someone else, you’re not punishing them, you’re punishing yourself.

Don't be attached to your current situation. This could be just a stepping stone to something greater. You are so much bigger than any circumstance or problem you're having. 

Be mindful of the words you speak to define yourself and your situation. What you tell yourself is more often than not, not a fact. It’s simply a story. If it’s a painful one - change it or reframe it.

I have a vivid memory of the time I said something that, in the past would take me into a full shame and self-judgment spiral. But that time, there was lightness about it. I couldn't stop laughing at myself.

There is a part of you that always knows your truest desires even when you think you are lost. Your intuition is always guiding you towards the “right” choice.
 
Maybe you can’t hear your intuition, because the anxiety and fear and so much louder, but it IS there.

Whether you’re holding onto beliefs, people, or stories that no longer reflect who you want to be, the reason behind it is fear.
 
We’re holding onto things we’ve outgrown for way too long because we’re scared of giving up something we know so we’ll, even when it feels constricting.
 

Big changes don’t just happen. They are a result of small, consistent, deliberate actions. 

Don't get discouraged by the time it may take to accomplish what you want to accomplish. Keep your long-term vision in mind and focus on what can be done each day to move towards the bigger vision.

When you say:
 
“This is just who I am”
“I don’t know how”
“It is what it is”
 
You close the possibilities for change and progress.

If you quit when you’re scared you’ll never know who might be capable of becoming and what you might be capable of achieving. Quitting is always an option. But before you do, check in with yourself and make sure it is a choice that is aligned with your priorities, not a fear based decision. 

When you authentically want something, the desire in itself is your permission to pursue it.

It doesn’t have to be analyzed or explained with logic, because true desire comes from the heart.

Living authentically and honoring yourself may involve making decisions others judge or disapprove of.
 

Challenges are not an invitation to quit, but to step into a different version of you.

Where exactly are you rushing to? It’s going to take as long as it needs to.
Anticipating that it may be difficult is not a reason not to try.

It’s time to let it go!
 
Just because we expect things would happen a certain way and at a certain time, doesn’t mean they will.