A SEASON OF SWEETNESS
Hello there and happy Tuesday! I hope this week finds you embracing that slow August energy. I'm drinking Irish Breakfast Tea this morning (with milk and honey to sweeten it up!) and thinking about the sweetness we give ourselves.
My friends, it has been a minute. Thank you for your patience and for the lovely emails from those of you who wanted to check in. I feel lucky to have such a kind community. All is well in my world, but things have been busier and a bit more scattered than I'm used to. My reaction to that is to let some things drop so that I have space to catch my breath. In this case, our tea time hangs became one of those things.
I've missed you and I'm so happy to be back today talking about our Fat+Happy Patreon theme for this month; Sweetness!
I have historically had a challenging relationship with sweetness, especially when it comes to how I've treated myself. I also think that as a woman, I was raised in a society that teaches us to be sweet (or some variation of it) above all else.
Like many things on my continued journey of self acceptance, I have delighted in exploring and ultimately embracing what sweetness means to me now.
At this moment in my life, sweetness means giving myself permission to take the space that I need. It means finding balance in a way that specifically serves me and my nervous system. It also means literal sweetness like enjoying fresh berries, ice cream and chocolate without shame or judgement. It means speaking kindly to myself and acknowledging my amazing body as often as possible, even when it's not behaving how I want it to. Sweetness means putting up boundaries and saying no more often. And sweetness is taking myself out of town for a few days (this coming weekend!) and staring at a tree for longer than seems normal.
I used to think of sweetness as something I was offering outwardly to others, a perception I wanted people to have of me. And while I still take great joy in true sweetness in my relationships and even in moments with strangers, I am falling in love with embracing sweetness for myself.
I'd love for you to reflect on your own relationship with sweetness and how it would serve you in this moment in your life. I think we could all use a little more of it, especially when it comes to how we treat ourselves.
And if you'd like to watch a video where I chat about this topic and the ways you can apply it in your life, become a free member of my Fat+Happy Patreon! You'll get a monthly video where I sip tea and chat about the topic I've chosen to explore.
As always, I'd love to hear about it! What does sweetness mean to you? How has your relationship with it changed, and how do you want to start applying it in your life now? Let me know in the comments below.
As you move through this week, remember to treat yourself and your body with love, respect and kindness.
Much love,
Helen xo
