3 Brief Lessons From a Woman Who Was Stretched Too Thin

Can you recall a year when your personal life was completely shaken upside down? I think 2020 was one of those years for most people. Aside from that, I’m sure there have been defining moments in your life where you can recall the year in which it happened. It’s one of those, “Yep, I remember 2015 was just truly life-changing because XYZ happened.” 2022 was one of those years for me. I haven’t written in quite some time — life presented a series of incidents that I needed to address and be present with.

Something interesting happened, I actually came back from a wonderful birthday trip in August with a renewed vigor for life — this new perspective had me looking at situations with a fresh set of eyes. With that, I encountered new personal challenges, and also realized that between my day job, creating content for OBSRVNC, and engaging in freelance marketing work, I was stretching myself too thin. 

1. Take Time To Engage in Pleasurable Activities

I found myself tired and feeling unfulfilled; I had to take my own advice and be still. Sit with myself. I needed to enjoy doing things that brought me pleasure. Not letting ever my effort be towards making a dollar. Once I came to that decision, so much of life opened up to me. I found more clarity in my decision-making process and I was very intentional about carving time out to do things that made me happy: photography, coloring, knitting, and reading.

2. Be Vulnerable

When I was hitting low moments — moments of stress, doubt, or uncertainty, I had to be vulnerable. Vulnerable with myself and with loved ones. I had to cry and be okay with that. I had to express feelings that were difficult for me. This vulnerability truly helped me connect more deeply with loved ones as they opened up and shared more of themselves with me. Experiencing new moments of being open with others is beautiful; it can be so beneficial for your relationships.

3. Embrace the Dark Feminine

Though I haven’t been sharing as much — my search for esoteric knowledge and philosophy continues. I’m finding myself developing a deeper relationship with what’s referred to as “the dark feminine,” and why it’s looked at as such. The goddesses who can navigate the energies of the underworld, who are warriors, and those who sit at the crossroads, remind us of life’s difficulties. They face challenges in the unknown and are guided by their inner fire and compass. I look forward to devoting more of my studies to understanding more of those narratives.

All of that to say — 2022 has shown me a lot about finding balance in my life, continuing to appropriately integrate my feminine and masculine energies, and also about how I show up in my relationships.

Managing a new job with an insane learning curve has taken me away from OBSRVNC for a bit, but this is always my home for creativity, exploring health and nature, and topics related to the occult. Cheers til 2023!

All photography captured by Brandyce of OBSRVNC. All rights reserved.