Advice I Give Myself

The Mainzer Cats image doesn’t have much to do with this post, but it looks awfully advice-y, doesn’t it?

Advice is such a loaded word. So much of it is unwanted, yet when we need it, we really need it. All of us are guilty from time to time (to time) of not taking our own advice. Sure, we’re confident in the encouragement and guidance we offer others, but that’ll only work for them, right? It’s so hard when you’re in it yourself. It’s a challenge to go all out-of-body and look at your situation from a different perspective — and then give yourself advice. Sometimes when I’m talking to myself, I’m a terrible listener.

Here’s some of the valuable advice I like to offer myself:

• Be patient, but do the work. Giant results don’t usually happen overnight. Just because your XYZ isn’t doing XYZ, doesn’t mean that people hate you and you’re slowly getting sucked into the vortex of loser-ness.
• Listen to your gut because it’s usually right on target. This can be hard to do when, during your life, you learned to constantly question yourself. Close your eyes and tune into what’s real. Also listen to your gut when it wants ice cream. That shizz is always real.
• Associate with the people that lift you up, not the ones who tear you down. It’s so not worth it. And stop being such a damn people pleaser. Not everyone’s going to like you, and so what? Keep doing what you’re doing and the right people will show up. Maybe they’ll even bring you ice cream.
• Take risks. If you fail and are sad, at least you’ll know you tried. You could remain paralyzed and sad, not knowing if you’d ever succeeded because you never tried. Screw the naysayers — in the nicest way possible, of course.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want, even if the thought makes you legit want to hurl. If you don’t get the answer you want, move the hell on. It may not be your jam, and that’s ok. Find your jam.
• Get some rest and stop pushing yourself so damn hard. Your body will stop you if you don’t stop yourself. Consequently, this is what I’m dealing with today. I didn’t heed my own advice and here I am. Remember how I said I can be a terrible listener? I need some ice cream.

Even if this post doesn’t help a single person, it feels fracking therapeutic to write it. I do hope it does help at least one person, though. And I mean that sincerely — not in a people-pleaser kind of way.

Cosmo Update

I know some of you are interested in an update on my young man. Thanks again for the nice comments and questions about Cosmo.

The growth on his mouth is getting bigger by the day, and it looks kind of terrible. He is, however, still eating and acting normally. I don’t know what this means, but Chris and I continue to love him like crazy.