My Mom always told me to listen to my body.
She’d sometimes let me eat brownies for dinner, if that’s what my body was really asking for.
Sometimes I lied just to get the brownies and skip dinner.
I was 8.
When I started public school at 10 years old – in 5th grade – I suddenly had to wake up early and go to this place with fluorescent lights and lots of people.
I loved school, but I was very grumpy in the morning.
I was also desperate to show up on time, be liked by everyone, and get good grades, so I pushed myself and wiggled into the public school mold.
As a homeschooled kid up until 10, I was afraid I wouldn’t “make it” in the “real world,” so I kept pushing and pushing.
The pressure was mostly internal – I did really well academically, and pretty well socially.
I was friends with the “popular” kids and had great boyfriends, but always felt a little different, like I was on the outside.
There were some intense mean girl dynamics going on, but overall, I always had friends and felt connected as a kid.
There was no need for me to be afraid of not being successful or well-liked.
Like most scenarios, it was more about what was going on in my head than what was going on in real life.
My fear of not “making it” in the “real world” continued through college and after.
When I graduated college, I just wanted to get a stable office job and make 50k, which I did, in the field of holistic nutrition.
It was a great fit for me, and I loved what I was doing…
… but after a couple years, I realized that the 9-5 structure didn’t work for me, as a full-time creative.
Although I was doing work I loved, something was missing.
I was not in my full purpose.
Which to me, feels like death.
If you’ve been around here for a while, you might have noticed I’m not a “punch-in, punch-out” type of person.
I need to feel deeply connected to and inspired by my work.
So where did I go from there?
What got me to where I am today, where I have complete control over my schedule, freedom to travel, and a comfortable life in Caribbean Costa Rica?
I’m not covering every detail of my journey today, but there’s one big, crucial factor I want to share with you.
It’s the inner shift that allowed me to step out of the work and life structures that felt so safe, but were holding me back.
This is my personal key to happiness and success:
Self-trust.
Developing deep respect and reverence for my natural rhythm and pace…
Trusting my naps.
Trusting my desire for extra sleep.
Trusting my slow moments as much as my fast ones.
Taking as much pride in my rest as my work.
A healing practitioner I was working with once told me: “You’re just as productive when you’re asleep as when you’re awake.”
This was an intuitive message she got through a system called Universal Health Principles®, which pulls upon muscle testing, tapping, and bodytalk.
In my sleep, my ideas distill.
I have my biggest breakthroughs after a good nap or meditation.
It goes the other way, too.
I trust my desire to work out vigorously.
The little voice that asks for 20 minutes of meditation instead of 10…
… even if I feel like I don’t have time, 9 times out of 10 I listen to her.
I trust a craving for pizza as much as kale.
My desire to engage in a “random,” “unproductive” discussion, as much as my instinct to skip a potential “networking” moment.
My secret to success and happiness is complete self-trust.
Honoring my own rhythm.
Celebrating a good, long sleep or a day of doing nothing, rather than feeling guilty.
We’re taught that it’s scary to trust ourselves.
That we are untrustworthy.
That we need to protect ourselves from ourselves.
I’ve found the opposite to be true.
Today I’m happier, healthier, and more relaxed than I’ve been since I was a little kid, and I’m more successful – working for myself and honoring my flow – than I was when I worked in offices and restaurants.
My natural rhythm is my foundation and my guiding force.
If I don’t do much one day, it’s very likely I’ll create great work the next day, or later that week… which leads to more great work, and more fulfillment.
As I honor my rhythm, momentum builds.
I trust my flow and I do not question my instincts.
I have reverence for my rhythm.
>> How can you get to know and trust your natural rhythm if you have a traditional job and lots of external responsibilities?
>> Take one day a week, or even one hour a week, to do whatever you want and ONLY follow your instincts. Do not do anything you feel like you “should” do, even if that means staring at a wall for two hours.
Build from there, taking instinct-only days as often as you can.
We’re taught to override our instincts with logic, so depending on your background, it may take more or less time to develop reverence for your rhythm.
Be gentle and know that you’re reprogramming years – if not decades – of conditioning.
You’re in the perfect place, and there is no rush.
You are growing and healing in every moment.
What’s your guiding force today? Do you trust your natural rhythm?
Share below! I’d love to hear from you.
Love,
Lula