Become Your Own Biggest Supporter

Day of Hope #122 - Monday February 13, 2023

Goal: Create balance, care for myself, and learn to be my own biggest supporter

Quote: “The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

This morning, I’m sitting in my office looking out the window at busy State Street. Across the road, the Maverik gas station has a steady stream of people coming and going, and cars seem to be moving endlessly in both directions.

Everyone is going somewhere. And I’m sitting here with nowhere I need to be. Peppermint green tea in my hand. Journal in front of me. Peace and quiet surrounding me.

Love, love, love it.

I’m incredibly grateful that when my Day of Hope falls on a weekday, I can take the day off work and give myself permission to do whatever I need. And today, I need to slow down.

Taking Better Care of All My Parts

Over the past several months, I’ve been working hard to take better care of myself, not just emotionally, but physically too. Since October, I’ve lost 25 pounds by eating healthier and, more importantly, keeping the commitments I make to myself. That part feels especially rewarding.

I’m also learning more about caring for my skin and hair. I’ve been watching YouTube videos, experimenting with using less makeup, adding more moisture to my skin, and finding ways to keep my hair healthier.

Today I slept in, which will forever be one of my favorite Day of Hope activities, and then took a long shower. Instead of using heat on my hair, I sprayed in a leave-in conditioner and rolled it in Velcro rollers while it was still wet. Then I just let it dry naturally. Great body. Great curls. No heat. Who knew?

I’m also wearing less makeup and focusing more on my eyebrows and eyes. I’ve always thought my eyes were one of my best features, so why not let them do the work?

It might sound like little stuff, but I’m beginning to understand that caring for yourself happens in hundreds of small ways.

Getting Coached So I Can Learn to Coach

At noon, I had a 20-minute coaching session through The Life Coach School. My membership includes one coaching call each week. I’ve been a member since September, but I only started taking advantage of the calls last week. Better late than never!

Since I want to eventually become a coach of forgotten hope, it makes sense that I experience coaching myself. I didn't have a specific topic planned for the session, but the conversation quickly moved toward something that had been bothering me: What happens when someone you love doesn't support the work you're doing on yourself?

As we talked, I had a realization that changed the entire way I looked at it. I don't need other people to support me. I need the people I love to be there for me and love me. I can support myself.

That was big.

For so much of my life, I looked outside myself for reassurance, approval, encouragement, and sometimes even permission. But what if…..

I don't need someone else to understand every goal I have?

What if they don't need to be as excited about my dreams as I am?

What if I can believe in myself enough for both of us?

Maybe loving me doesn't require someone to completely understand my journey. And maybe supporting my dreams is ultimately my responsibility.

$13 Tickets on the 13th

After my coaching session, I had my healthy overnight oats with berries and headed out for something completely different. The 25th-anniversary release of Titanic was playing on the big screen. I loved that movie when it originally came out, so when I discovered it was playing on February 13th, I knew exactly where I was going.

And because the universe apparently enjoys my obsession with the number 13, the tickets were $13 each. Of course they were. I bought two tickets so no one could sit beside me. Yes, I purchased an extra seat for my Day of Hope. Worth every penny.

When I arrived, I discovered the movie was also showing in 3D. It was incredible. You know a movie is good when it's about three and a half hours long and somehow feels like an hour. Even better, I practically had the entire theater to myself.

When I walked outside afterward, snow was gently falling. It felt like the perfect ending to my little afternoon escape.

Another Step Toward Hopes Highways

I also received the sweetest email from my book editor today. She remembered that the 13th was my Day of Hope and sent me a message wishing me a wonderful day and good luck with my website launch. Originally, Hopes Highways was supposed to launch today.

But plans changed. The new launch date is March 13th. Another 13. I’m also expecting to receive my book edits back next week, and once they arrive, I'll have about a month to work through them. There is still so much to do.

Today, I worked on more of my Day of Hope stories and organized photos and content for the website. Piece by piece, this idea I've carried for so long is becoming something real.

And then there was one more little message waiting for me. The quote on my tea bag today said: “The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

I couldn't help but smile. Hopes Highways is still my little acorn. The book hasn’t been published yet. The website hasn't launched yet. The coaching business isn't fully built yet. There are still edits, stories, photos, pages, programs, and countless things to figure out. But the seed has been planted. And I'm taking care of it.

Tonight, I'm sitting in front of my fireplace with my journal, thinking about what a wonderful Day of Hope this has been. Nothing huge happened. I didn't climb a mountain or travel somewhere new.

I simply took care of myself, learned something important, enjoyed one of my favorite movies, worked on my dream, and gave myself the space to think. And maybe that's exactly what I needed.

My Lesson of Hope: You don't need everyone around you to understand or support every dream you're chasing. Sometimes the most powerful support comes from learning to believe in yourself. Keep the commitments you make to yourself, care for the person you're becoming, and keep nurturing the small seed of your dream. You never know what kind of forest it may become.