I first encountered the work of Rachel Macy Stafford in 2015 when she was a guest on one of the very first podcasts I ever listened to, Power of Moms Radio.
I was immediately struck by Rachel’s warmth and authenticity and her message of “letting go of distraction, perfection, & pressure to grasp what really matters” in our lives. I was a busy young mother of two, a few years behind Rachel in my own motherhood journey, and her wisdom about slowing down the pace of life to really be present with the people I love most deeply touched me.
I have continued to follow Rachel’s work in the seven years since, and it has been an honor to read her heartfelt writings about all of the epiphanies that have come to her as she has grown right alongside her two beautiful daughters, who are now age 16 and 19.
Rachel writes an incredible blog that inspires millions of readers, and she has published four best-selling books.
If you want to start shifting your soul to be less distracted by the inner-noise of life, here is a recap of the three takeaways from our conversation:
***
1) Connect with your inner child. I love the concrete idea to find a photo of yourself as a child from a time where you felt happy, free, and comfortable and to look at it often. Put it on your desk or your nightstand and remember that that little girl is still inside of you, and thinking about what she loved can really help you to get back in tune with yourself. It might be ignoring the mirror and wearing a hat like Rachel Stafford, or putting productivity aside to get a puppy like I recently did. Think about what you loved to do as a child and start doing some of those things again.
2) Remember that fear wears disguises. When you are yelling at your kids or not acting in alignment with your values, can you pause and look deeper? Is there actually some fear and anxiety there? Ask yourself, “What can I do to support you right now?” This is also such a grace-filled question to ask your children or your partner when they are not acting like themselves.
3) Honor your red flags and, in the words of Rachel’s sister Rebecca, learn not to throw good energy at a bad situation. It’s okay to leave some situations or relationships unresolved if your soul is whispering to you that this is not good for you. Sitting with the fact that someone might be disappointed in you is incredibly difficult, but it will get easier in time to stop betraying yourself in order to keep others happy.
>>>Are these tips from Rachel Macy Stafford helpful? What would you add to the takeaways? Tell us in the comments below.
***
Facebook: The Hands Free Revolution
- BetterHelp: Use the code 3in30 to get 10% off your first month of online therapy!
- Public Goods: Get $15 off first order (and no minimum purchase).
- Modern Fertility: Get $20 off your fertility testing kit, bringing the price to only $179.
- Episode 097: How to Let Go of Hard Stuff from your Past
- Episode 245: You’re Exactly Where You Need to Be // Alison Faulkner
- Episode 116: Accepting and Reframing Anxiety // Becky Higgins & Becky Proudfit
You may remember that last fall, I launched a nine-month long program called Self-Assured Motherhood (or SAM, as I like to call it for short). The sign ups were only open for a short time, and I was thrilled to have almost 90 women join the program. These amazing mothers spent the last nine months working with me on becoming more confident and content mothers and women. We had nine different monthly topics with masterclasses and coaching and Q&A, and it was absolutely amazing.
