JUST KEEP SHOWING UP// Meeting Your Own Needs

View from the inside of a car, driving on a mountain highway in Northern Ontario, moving to Vancouver. Life Made Light. Photography by Leah Williams

Every day is an opportunity to show up. If we’re feeling off or tired, how do we deal with it? Can we practice self-compassion, take a breath and ask ourselves what we need today. What do we need in the moment? Can we let go of our original expectations?

Asking, “is this how I want to feel” and readjusting may mean that we give ourselves more space, extra time, a chance to rest. Maybe you drink some water, put on socks, or say no to an obligation.

We can’t do our best work or be our best self if we’re exhausted or playing comparisons. Can we practice gentleness with ourselves, like we would with a child or fluffy pet? Treating ourselves gently may be something we have to learn, it might not come naturally. But when we give ourselves what we need, it helps us stay on our own path, in our own lane, and brings us home.