Your Journal Prompts This Week:
When was the last time I experienced a "first" in my life, and how did I acknowledge it?
What firsts might I be able to experience in the near future?
How can I welcome and embrace more firsts in my life?
What could it look like to meet myself again, to get reacquainted with myself?
My life as a new mom has become all about "firsts." These are firsts for me and for the baby, as we both encounter new and unfamiliar territory. And to be honest, in the beginning months of her life, most of these firsts were a touch more anxiety-inducing than exciting. But as my baby crosses that 6-month mark, there's been a big shift toward the more exciting side.
Some of my favorites thus far have been seeing her study herself in the mirror for the first time and watching her climb onto hands and knees for the first time. Witnessing these firsts has been deeply satisfying in a way I hadn't expected, in a way I almost can't explain, and it has left me thinking about how we acknowledge our firsts throughout life. As we get older, our firsts are far less frequently acknowledged—by others and also by ourselves.
Think about it . . . when was the last time you experienced a "first" in your life and celebrated it with as much as excitement as we give to a baby who reaches a major developmental milestone? I'm going to guess it was most likely a long time ago, and you might not even remember for certain.
And as we get older, we become less inclined to try new things, which means fewer firsts. We're settled in our ways now, we know our comforts, we have our routines. We might think there's nothing new to see here.
I even take becoming a mom for granted, not acknowledging this as a major first. As I look back over the last six months of my life, the first three to four months were purely focused on survival, making it pretty hard for me to acknowledge just what I had accomplished in birthing a baby.
But as she grows and I grow, I realize this "first" led me to meet myself again. I see myself more clearly. I see the patterns and conditioning, the capacity for love and creativity, the hope that has been hidden under all of the daily tasks, obligations, and responsibilities I was holding onto so tightly. More of myself is emerging.
I believe that these firsts we experience as adults (if we pay attention to them), are here to remind us to reconnect, to remind us that there's more to us than what we've become accustomed to seeing in the mirror. We are continuously and slowly shedding the layers of ourselves that no longer serve us, that we've grown out of.
Reaching these milestones might not be as obvious as that of a child taking their first steps, but I believe they are no less important.
I hope that someday we can all stop viewing self-appreciation as selfish or self-centered. Reflection is not reserved just for the moments we mess up. Reflection is important for any first, for any moment of growth because we grow through our successes, too—not just our so-called failures.
I invite you to take some time to look at yourself with fresh eyes today. And allow yourself to be pleased with what you discover.
Head over to the chat to share any of your thoughts and insights with the community.
With much love and gratitude,
Marcy
P.S. A new journey for me is starting! I’d love for you to join me on it, if it feels aligned and right for you.
I’m officially kicking off The Mindful Content Creator Podcast next week. On Sunday, Substack subscribers will receive their first content creation prompt and then on Monday, episode 1 will drop. I created this one on a separate substack, so you’ll need to subscribe in order to receive and view the content. I’d love to see you over there!
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