✌🏾Get Free: Cut Yourself Some Slack

Hey Get Free Fam, 

How’s your week been? If you missed it, Tuesday was International Dog Day and everywhere I turned there were cute pics of people and their puppies and it put a smile on my face. Meanwhile, my household feline just gave her servant humans side-eye and rubbed her furry butt in my face at four in the morning. This after I dropped big dollars at the vet for her annual check up. Now tell me, how do I get free of THAT?! She pays NO BILLS yet runs this house. More fool me, I guess…

Before we dive into this week’s issue, I wanted to update on our last conversation: Weight Ain’t Nothing But A Number. This issue struck a cord, with many of you reaching out with stories and comments about dealing with doctors, a lack of support around your health concerns and helping your children navigate questions and feelings around their size. I’m working on a follow up and an actual guide tackling some of the questions you all raised: what numbers should I really be concerned about when it comes to health? How can I navigate a tricky doctor? How can I get the care I need? How can I talk with my children when they are feeling negative about their bodies? If you haven’t read it, scroll back and check it out. If you have thoughts, questions or comments, send me an email: [email protected] or complete this form (thanks to the folks who told me it wasn’t working last week!) 

SO WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THIS WEEK?

This week has been a lot. Even though I started this issue on the lighthearted side, the week has been heavy and I’d be remiss not to acknowledge that. Yet another mass shooting in a school made headlines. Wars continue to rage around the world with the consequences touching close to home. People are fighting for their jobs and their livelihoods. Talking with friends and colleagues it is all just. too. much. Being joy-filled or thinking about freedom can feel tone-deaf, but this is exactly the time to lean in. 

So I don’t have a Get Free activity this week (you can go back and check out the archive on this long holiday weekend!) but I do want to share a few reminders that have surfaced over the past few days: 

It’s OK to be angry when people disappoint you

It’s OK to be upset when an opportunity doesn’t turn out how you hoped

It’s OK to not always be the person who turns up with the energy and the ideas 

It’s OK not to volunteer at your kids’ school, or for goodwill projects at work

It’s OK if your body tells you to rest and you don’t go for that walk, or take that class

It’s OK if you ignore the alarm that tells you it’s time to get up

It’s OK to drink something other than water, and it’s also OK to eat the bag of chips

It’s OK to say no to an invitation if you’d prefer to enjoy your own company.

It’s OK to not be available, without explanation or apology

It’s OK to watch trash TV and rewatch your favorite movies over and over again

It’s OK to eat cereal for dinner, or dessert for breakfast

It’s OK to turn your music up really loud and sing along - badly

It’s OK to give away that dress someone gave you, but you never wear 

It’s OK to say that you don’t know or that you made a mistake

It’s OK to go to bed with makeup on for one night

It’s OK not to love the book/movie/play/TV show everyone is raving about

It’s OK to have experiences without your family or loved ones

It’s OK to send calls straight to voicemail

It’s OK to just work the hours you’re paid for

It’s OK to turn off the news notifications on your phone

It’s OK to tune out the world for a little bit

It’s OK to say no, just as it’s OK to say yes enthusiastically

It’s OK to let people down; if they love you, they’ll understand

It’s OK to set boundaries and stick to them

It’s OK to forgive yourself

It’s OK to live your life

See, it’s OK. 

I’d love to hear what being free and living free means to you. Share this post with someone who might like it - remember, we don’t gatekeep! You can email [email protected] or leave a comment here.

🚀Get Your Life: Things to read, listen to, enjoy🚀

📚What I’m reading: No books this week! What are you reading? Let me know!

🎧What’s on the pod: I recommended an episode of Aspire with Emma Grede a few weeks back, but if you can, get in to the whole series. It’s business and life rolled into one.

🎵 Soundtrack for the week: Aretha Franklin singing Bridge Over Troubled Water. Beautiful.

✨ If you’ve got a recommendation drop me a line. ✨

THANKS FOR READING!

If you’ve been rolling with The Get Free Guide for a while, give us a follow or a shout out on Instagram and share the love with a friend. We don’t gatekeep around here!

See you next Friday!