Do you ever take time out of your day to daydream about your highest self? The you that isn’t bound by anything? The you that is on point from head to toe, inside out; just prim and proper pro max.
I recently started using my imagination more to visualize an upgraded version of myself. People often say you can only be as big as you dream. My mom always tells me that the sky is my starting point and I’m thinking in accordance with that. When we dream and visualize, it doesn’t have to be our entire self-image/every area in our life. It could simply be related to our career goals, our love life, spirituality, the way we style our clothes, or even nail shapes.
Last week I went to get my nails done and I typically do short square because of functionality. I prefer medium or long square nails, but I have trouble putting on jewelry pieces and I dread the accidental bumping of the nail causing discomfort for a while. I’m typically a French tip, baby boomer, Ferrari red, or solid color type of gal. This time I wanted something different. I opted for medium stiletto, which I hadn’t done in years. I walked in wanting to get a deep red color, but as soon as the technician perfectly carved the stiletto I felt like getting pink and so I did. A light Barbie pink. I love my decision because stiletto exposes the sides of my fingertips, so I’m able to put on my jewelry and do plenty of other tasks easily.
For YEARS, I committed to short square, but choosing stiletto really did something to me. I feel liberated! If you do your nails at the salon or at home, type in the comments your go to shape/color and why it’s your go to. The stilettos make me think of other areas that I’ve chosen to take the easy route. “Playing it safe” and not doing life audits will not get me closer to my upgraded self.
Centering my personal thoughts and visuals around a better tomorrow feels like a slow mental surgery because I’ve really been developing a difference in the way I process my existence. I internally feel a shift in my dialogue. Before, if something would come to my mind that differed from my usual thoughts or conditioning, I would dismiss the thought and basically remind myself to stick to my status quo. Now, I embrace and explore my thoughts, binning what doesn’t sit well with me and editing if the thought needs a tweak. But how did I get here? How did I get to the point where I explore and celebrate every original thought that comes to my mind? Especially in a time where there are, what I call, blueprints for our thoughts, behaviors, and who we should be.
First, I had to leave environments that conditioned me: places, people, conversations. That was step 1. If it provided me comfort with a cap, if it influenced me to be something, if I had to shrink myself, or if the older version of me was the one present, I had to remove myself or significantly decrease the amount of time I spent in those types of spaces. I lessened the depth of my connection in those spaces and with whomever I had to be a ‘smaller me’ around. For example, with my job I would tell myself do your job and get out. Do nothing outside of your requirements and actively look for something that suits your upgraded version’s lifestyle. Don’t discuss weekend activities or your personal life with coworkers; just hi and bye. In my social life, I communicated less with certain people. No more lying to myself that I could move my life forward with someone that doesn’t match where I’m headed. Some people need to become an associate. If we give ourselves the opportunity to really deep how people and environments make us feel, we will know exactly where the reconstruction needs to happen.
I’d like to leave you with this; you deserve to win. You weren’t brought into this life to suffer in any way. Whether life began that way or became that way, it will not end in suffering. I believe the rest of your life is going to be the best of your life. Let’s take a step back and work internally towards a better tomorrow. Talk to you next time!
EXTRA FUN:
Here’s an activity for you: record a video diary or free write. Escape your reality and paint the picture of your upgraded self. What do you do for fun? What do you spend time thinking about? What does your lifestyle consist of? After completing that, you’ll do part two. Detail the annoyances/things you don’t want to deal with in your life and don’t hold anything back because only you will have access to the video or writing. Part 3: what’s the bridge between part 1 and 2? Define it, categorize it, and take steps to decrease the annoyances. You’ve got this! <3