Photography by Kylie Martin

On my morning walk-run with the pup today, I felt so refreshed, so alive, so energetic, more so than I ever have before.  I also felt at peace, at peace with allowing my self to sleep in this morning and at peace for not checking my inbox first thing when I wake up.

The past few months have brought some health struggles, but by diligently working through them, I see the light at the end of the tunnel and truly feel more healthy and alive than I ever have before.

If you have read my latest personal health update, The Emotional Struggle of Weight Gain and Thyroid Issues, you will understand where I am coming from today.  It truly was the most vulnerable I have ever been in an online, public setting, but I felt called to share my heart.

Many of you sweet friends keep asking me how I am feeling, since learning I had a thyroid issue.  I have been blown away by all your encouraging words and comments, so please know from my heart I am so thankful for you all. 

To be honest, I feel great!!  Besides the weight gain and puffy face, I feel great. Surprising right?

But here is the back story I have to explain, for why I feel so great.

I forced myself to slow down.  Not just slow down physically or taking a nap, but slowing down in every aspect of my life.

I learned that what I had to give in the moment was enough. 

Who I am is enough.

For so long I bought into the lie that if I just kept pushing, success would be at the end of the rainbow.  The lie that an extra cup of coffee in the afternoons was the answer.

This past February, through some very personal difficult events, I had a wakeup call. 

A wakeup call that I needed.  A wakeup call that forced me to slow down.  

In the weeks that followed, I experienced the worst brain fog, anxiety, adrenal fatigue and horribly painful PMS symptoms of my life and I decided that I was going to do something about it, more like I HAD to do something about it.

So, I slowed down, I started saying NO to a lot of things, even a lot of good things.  I tackled my adrenal fatigue and PMS symptoms head on (something I detail HERE in my free hormone balancing webinar)!

The beautiful part is, my body started to recover.  You all—your body is beautifully and wonderfully made and wants to work for you! Sometimes you just have to give it what it needs—true rest, physically and emotionally.

Thyroid issues are often a result of adrenal fatigue, or something that can occur during the adrenal healing process, which is why I am so thankful I chose to purposefully slow down these past few months.  I know I would not be feeling my best self today if I had not slowed down.

Speaking from personal experience, I can honestly say that slowing down has been the best “medicine” or “therapy” for me and made the biggest difference in my health!

Here’s the funny part—that lie I said I bought into, that lie that society teaches, that more is better, more coffee is the answer, well I am here to tell you it’s not true.  Once I slowed down, I found so much productivity and creativity once again, aspects of my life that had been lacking for a while.  Crazy part is, on a business level, I have been far more impactful and “successful” in the past few months than I have in the past 3 years.

So today I challenge you, this is your wakeup call.  What is one area of your life do you need to slow down or more importantly need to refocus and prioritize?

You can do this, I am here cheering you on!