I honestly can’t believe we are in our last week of 2017. I know that when 2017 started I was sitting high with expectations but was also riddled with anxiety with what was to come. The shifts that have occurred were not always what I expected. Some have been what I have feared, but others have truly changed me for the better. Now I feel grounded in what I anticipate may be the first ever year I finally feel comfortable in my skin. It’s easy to look like you have it all together but when certain things finally do click in your life it can shift your entire perspective. I try my very best to educate all of my clients that when they finally surrender to let this shift happen they actually start to love the reflection in the mirror. So today I want to talk about why 2018 is the year of finally loving the skin you’re in…

Let’s start with the pressure we put on ourselves to on January 1st of every year. Most of us pressure ourselves to dive into a routine that immediately feels stressful to the body, mind, and soul. Don’t get me wrong, I admire when anyone takes matters into their own hands when it comes to improving their lives however going from 0 to 100 overnight can derail you from your goals quite quick. The intentions we set behind our actions will be the main indicator if our goals will be reached or not. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

1 - Am I doing this out of love? When it comes to your health habits the true key to success is having the self-love to back it up. If your intention is to better yourself because you love yourself enough to want to shift through potential discomfort, you will benefit from whatever outcome unfolds. If you are coming at it with a place of self-hate or insecurity, your results will never reflect back to you. There are so many clients that I work with that honestly have nothing wrong with their skin but they simply can’t see it. They end up creating more problems because they want to fix something that isn’t even there. That issue stems from a place where self-acceptance is missing and is the first thing I address. Start by asking yourself the “why?” and if the answer aligns with bettering yourself because you love yourself than trust that instinct. If the answer is connected with other issues consider finding a support system to help keep you accountable for your intentions.

2 - What if I hit a roadblock? Roadblocks are so frustrating, aren’t they? In the past, I may have really reacted whenever I was faced with one because when I set my mind to something it’s as though I have blinders on so nothing can stand in my way. I have had this come up for me when I’m pushing my limits and all of a sudden sprain an ankle. This happens with my skin all the time as well. If I overdo it will breakout or flare up, so I take a pause and listen in to what is really going on. Why am I overdoing? The answer usually comes up immediately. It’s really important to realize that roadblocks are a necessary part of the process. They are so frustrating until you really sit and realize why they occurred in the first place. When your skin shifts it might feel like a roadblock but it is actually the perfect pause button that the universe is testing you with. Sit in the stillness and let the solutions unfold in the beautiful way it’s supposed to.

3 - Am I trusting my intuition? I speak of intuition so much that you would think I would be an expert on it by now. The truth is that I’m often tested on this very topic because I’m a people pleaser who is highly empathic. If someone is hurting it can bring me into turmoil myself. The tests that I experience are just reminders that my intuition will guide the way. If you are constantly being faced with the same issue, skin wise or not, it is a part of the process that you have to go through to make you, well, you. If I didn’t experience my 11 years of acne as a teenager I wouldn’t be as tuned into my body and wouldn’t have the compassion to help the thousands of clients I have had over the last 12 years. Take it as a test for your intuition and once you start listening in, you’ll be so grateful for the way the path decided to unfold.

I ask my clients all the time “What do you think drew you to want to work with me?” and the answer is often “Because I want to love my skin.” which really honors my intuition every time. I have worked really hard on building a business out of simply honoring my intuition and each time someone is drawn to me for that reason it reminds me of intentions I set for myself over a decade ago. I was reminded of it when I was watching Gina Rodriguez’ 73 questions by Vogue (anyone else love these videos?) and she was asked: “How do you want to be remembered?” Her answer; “For the way I made people feel.” My goal for every year is to help you feel your best by loving your skin, and yourself. You are all such unique and wonderful beings, it’s so interesting to learn all about your backgrounds and how your gifts are contributing to your community each day. This is the year that I hope you finally realize it and I’ll dedicate myself to helping you discover (and continuously rediscover it). Happy Holidays everyone and I’ll see you in 2018!

Find more ways to discover Your Best Skin, Your Best Self with Therapeutic Skin Coach