Note to self #16: Take pride in your journey.

Appreciate how far you've come and all you've done.

Jun 28, 2021

Hi👋🏽 I’m Kat. I help navigate difficult conversations and teach women how to negotiate on their own terms. Welcome to my version of a newsletter where I’ll be reminding you how to be kinder to yourself. You may listen (above) or read (below). You’re doing great, sweetie. Remember you’re all you have. So welcome and thanks for being here.✨

NYC celebrated PRIDE this weekend (well, all throughout June, all day, everyday throughout the year). I have never felt so much appreciation for anything more than New York. Of course, you can say I am biased because I live here. But I still stand by this statement. Everyday I feel ecstatic and grateful for having the means and the gumption to live in the greatest city in the world. Again I’m biased. I know NY is not for everyone. I personally chose New York City to be my home because, I, like a lot of New Yorkers discovered that we have been gifted the rare opportunity, all within this one lifetime, to realize that all our ambitions are possible, our dreams are achievable, and even the freedom to be who we are is highly encouraged. If not, a prerequisite to being a resident. Which is how we meet and know the most fascinating people.

And because of this encouragement to be true to myself, to dream big and live freely and openly, the city reminds me of this privilege everyday. I don’t take this opportunity lightly, which is why I don’t squander my choices on other people’s opinions of me or my lifestyle. As most New Yorkers don’t. This city reminds me that I don’t owe anyone any explanation, answers or excuses for my life choices. It’s my life to live and based on my terms. And for this, I am very thankful for this city.

On the theme of showing my appreciation, I wanted to take a moment to show gratitude, not just for NY who continue to inspire me, but to all who have read or listened to my reflections the last few months. Though this small endeavor was born out of a disappointing failure, which I obviously know is simply a detour in life, expressing my thoughts in these notes have helped me process my mental faculties more productively in the last 15 weeks. And because of this habit, new creative ideas have spurred me to reach into far greater heights that I never thought possible.

I read somewhere that our success today, or lack thereof, is a product of our efforts, decisions or habits from the years prior. If you think about where you stand now, and retrace it back to the beginning of the year, what does this mean to you? Could you have believed that where you are right now is a consequence of those decisions you made at the end of last year? If you had made different choices, would life be a little bit different today? Better or worse, maybe? If you take stock at all you've accomplished in the last six months, do you glow with pride or cringe? Are you glad to have made all the decisions you’ve made, big and small? Were the people and projects you’ve spent your energy on, worth it?

Looking forward as the world trudges towards a healthier future, how will you make the next six months count? What can you change today to help you evolve closer to that best version of you at the turn of a new year? What are your goals? What things are you letting go? What habits will you build to help get you there? Where will your focus be in the weeks to come?

I hope you take the time to pause and appreciate these last few months along with all those who inspired and motivated you. We survived 2020, didn’t we? That’s something to celebrate. And so with gratitude and appreciation of my own journey these last few months, I’m re-presenting all the notes from the last few weeks. Thank you for allowing me to share these reflections with you.

With much warmth and appreciation,

Kat✨