How adorable is this outfit?!
(I think it's the cutest ever, but I'm biased).
This sweet outfit though has quite a story behind it.
I went to put it on Sonoma this morning and instantly had a negative million thoughts about myself.
What will people think of me putting my daughter in such a "ridiculous" outfit?
What if other moms think I'm trying to "out-mom" them because my daughter looks so put-together?
Are people going to judge me because my daughter looks so cute and I'm in Lulus and haven't showered in 2 days?!
Honestly, I almost put her back in a sleeper and walked out the door.
I stopped for a moment and asked myself "why do I want to put my daugheter in this cute dress?"
The answer?
Because time is going so fast and I want her to wear this sweet outfit at least once before she outgrows it.
And because life is short and we shouldn't wait for special occasions to celebrate, dress up, and use the good china (or in our house, the fancy wine glasses).
My reasons? They were legit, good, soulful reasons I wanted to dress my baby in this beautiful outfit.
And my negative self-talk almost talked me out of it. I almost let my fears, my insecurities, my need to be "liked", get in the way of that.
Now, I'm not saying YOU need to dress up your child every day. Or that you need to dress yourself up.
What I've learned is that it's all about intention and energy.
My intentions were pure, fun, and sentimental. My reasons for not doing it were rooted in ugly negativity.
So I said f*ck it and dressed her up cute and headed out the door.
A moment of truth: this was just ONE interaction, ONE thought process I had this morning out of many. And I happened to catch it and am reflecting on it and growing from it.
How many of these conversations do I have with myself every day?
How many do YOU have with yourself every day?
How often do we talk ourselves out of something we want because of fears, insecurities and so much more?
It could be something as simple as wearing something different.
It could be as massive as quitting our job and starting a business.
It could be as significant as running for political office, leaving a toxic relationship or moving cities.
It could be as small as needing a nap or a workout and giving ourselves permission to do either one.
So if you take anything away from this post (besides the desire to say "awwwww" to this sweet baby - proud mom alert), I hope it's this:
Listen to your self talk. Listen to how you speak to yourself and what you talk yourself out of.
Stop to think, and feel and decide what's right for YOU and what's important to you beyond your fears.
Because they're there. At every level, no matter how insignificant the decision or how evolved you are, or how much therapy/coaching/personal development you've done, it's there.
And it's up to you to overcome so that you live your life on YOUR terms, in a way that feels good to you.
PS. It's mom's night out tonight and that's when I get to dress up and celebrate too because that's what this mama needs on a Friday night! ❤️