Heya friends,
I missed writing to you last weekend — I had some looming deadlines that needed my attention first, unfortunately. 😊
The Week That’s Been
I don’t know about you but geez I can’t ‘do’ deadlines like I used to. In my 20s it used to be nothing to work as much or long as I needed to in order to meet them. I was thinking back to when I used to love studying at night, even after a full day of work. 🤓
These days, well, you can’t just not pick up the kids from school or not worry about feeding them for a few days can you? And now going to bed after 11pm pretty much qualifies as an all-nighter. Absolutely nothing good comes from me compromising on sleep anymore — which is terribly inconvenient when you're trying to magic a few extra hours into your day! 😂
Jokes aside, it was a bit of a tough week if I’m honest. It was that time of my cycle when I feel very fatigued, there was some extra dysregulation in our house (hello 2nd week of school) and I was hustling to get done what I needed to. Just quietly, I dislike hustling as much as I dislike missing sleep.
I am excited though guys, because I finally submitted my chapter titled The Stories We Tell for Anthologia Issue II. Anthologia is an anthology of women’s stories published by The Kind Press. This issue is due to be out in October - yippee!
The Stories We Tell is a personal essay about how we slowly forget our creative selves in the rush to be good, successful, and who we think we should be. It’s a story of remembering, reclaiming, and finding my way back to the joy of creating, just for me.
When I get to the point of submitting something I’ve been working on for a long time I have the ‘is this even any good?’ feeling. You know the one? At this point you just hit send anyway!
In other notable things about this week, I:
– Finished the copy and gathering of all the bits I needed for my website upgrade
– Created 3-session clarity coaching packages that include a Human Design report (excited for this!)
– Received a bunch of blow-my-mind contributor submissions for Seen Again
– Finalised the details of our upcoming Rise & Shine Retreat (tickets on sale soon)
– Found a park and had a successful appointment with our new paediatrician in Melbourne (such a relief)
– And… drum roll… had my first in-person client in my new coaching space at Restore Studio in Moama 🎉
All together I pushed myself a bit too hard and my body let me know about it.
Yesterday at soccer I felt snappy and teetering-on-collapse-level-exhausted, so I had a restful afternoon and a good sleep-in this morning. After that, along with a lovely morning river walk with two of my babes, and some cathartic cooking, I’m feeling much more like myself. It’s a gorgeous day here! Hallelujah, I even have a window open.
(I bought myself flowers and the kids said I should ‘be cool Mum’ with the dress-up aviators, so this is me trying/potentially being cool. Read my Insta post about the flowers here).
What I’ve Been Remembering
All of this — the writing, the stretching, the putting-myself-out-there — has stirred up a lot. I’ve been noticing a few truths rising to the surface. Some new, some old. Here are a few things I’ve been learning (or remembering) in the past fortnight:
The stories we tell ourselves really do shape us.
For a long time, I believed I wasn’t creative. That story felt so true I didn’t question it, until I did. I’m learning that some beliefs aren’t facts, just stories we’ve repeated to ourselves for so long they’ve settled in.Seeing yourself is where being seen really begins.
This one keeps tapping me on the shoulder and is being echoed through the Seen Again stories I’m receiving from other women. Feeling visible in the world starts with feeling connected to yourself again: your truth, your voice, your energy. It sounds simple, but it’s not always easy.Creativity isn’t just a nice extra, it’s essential.
I used to think you had to be “good at art” to be creative. Now I know it’s not about talent, it’s about aliveness. Whether it’s writing, painting, cooking, making something with your hands, or so many other things — it matters, because you matter.You can feel both proud and wobbly at the same time.
Hitting submit on something vulnerable (like my Anthologia essay) brings a wave of self-doubt every time. I’m learning to take the leap anyway and trust that whatever ‘falls out of it’ will be a growth experience and a part of everything working out for me.Putting yourself out there never feels totally comfortable.
New website copy, a new studio space, updated photos — these things stretch me more than I like to admit. But I’m coming to see that feeling vulnerable doesn’t mean I’m doing it wrong or taking up too much space (that old chestnut that likes to rear its head). It usually means I care and my obligation (to myself, to others) becomes greater than my fear.One step at a time really is enough.
Whether it’s in mothering, business, marriage, health, or writing a book, I keep being reminded that things don’t need to be figured out all at once. It helps to have a vision, a picture I’m holding onto in my imagination, but when it all feels too big, I ask: What’s one next step I can take? That’s often all it takes to soften the overwhelm and keep moving forward.
If any of these land with you, I’d love to hear. ❤️
The Wholehearted Parenting Manifesto
One last thing…
I went to revisit The Wholehearted Parenting Manifesto by Brene Brown and wondered if you have seen it? It’s brilliant. Brene says, “I use the manifesto as a touchstone, a prayer, and a meditation when I’m wrestling with vulnerability or when I’ve got that “never enough” fear.”
You can find it here and also download and print a pdf for free. There are other amazing free resources on this page too!
I love this:
“We will practice courage in our family by showing up, letting ourselves be seen, and honouring vulnerability. We will share our stories of struggle and strength. There will always be room in our home for both.” - Brene Brown
Have a beautiful week.
I see you.
❤️ Benita xx