Real talk; at the beginning of this year, I set out with some big a$$ goals & dreams. During Q1, I checked some of my *PINCH ME* goals off of my list. From the outside looking in, THIS BISH WAS BOOKED AND BUSY but on the inside, I was feeling so depleted of energy, doubting myself, and having a hard time tapping into my potential post pandemic. On top of that, I had a LOT of real life sh*t happening; (ever moved 3x in one month, get engaged, start working full time with your partner while launching 3 new brands within your business and planning a wedding?), LOL. Life was moving fast, there was a lot to celebrate and while I was soaking it all in and enjoying the ride, there was a part of me that was feeling stuck and stagnanttttttt AF. No doubt I was entering a season of gRoWiNg PaInS.

When Spring rolled around, I woke up one morning and decided that I was going to be an active participant in my evolution. I was craving change within me and instead of running from the work, I dove headfirst into it. I started purposely doing things that were outside of my comfort zone; I signed up for my meditation + breathwork certification, I started dreaming outside of the box (re-defining my version of success if you will), I spent a lot of time with my inner child, had solo dance parties, added some new routines to my morning/evening, had hard conversations/set some major boundaries, signed up for therapy, challenged myself to expand my teachings + curate my IRL events in a DIFFERENT way; you get the picture… I was committed to feeling inspired again.

It’s important to share that I did not start seeing INSTANT results, in fact, it was a slow burn. The song “You can’t rush your healing” By Trevor Hall served as a great reminder that it is ok to take your time… especially in moments where you have to dig a little deeper to find your daily happy. I didn’t just want to throw a band aid on this season of life that I was experiencing. Instead of rushing to the other side, I chose to be patient with myself in order to really uncover what was going on beneath the surface. A big part of this journey was taking a look at my relationship with social media…

I am lucky to say that my identity is not defined by WHO THE WORLD THINKS I am based off of my social media, my content or the amount of followers I have. I recently set a new goal to impact my community beyond the walls of social media and create a brand rooted in purpose with the intention of longevity (that goal really helped shift my perspective when it comes to showing up on social). With that being said, social media IS a part of my job and while I truly LOVE creating, sharing my life and connecting with my community via IG, I sometimes experience the negative effect social media can have on one’s mental health. The rise of the “THAT GIRL” trend did not fkn help…

The more “that girl” videos I watched, the more I realized that Instagram was pushing views based off of this unrealistic model of what it looks like to be a *COOL GIRL*. I saw more and more creators striving to be “THAT GIRL”. Creators were getting these insane views on reels + TikTok’s based of off romanticizing this perfect morning routine filled with toxic productivity, waking up at 6a, working out most likely doing pilates, applying a serum in perfect lighting to perfect skin, drinking celery and listening to a #1 rated health & wellness podcast while on a Hot Girl walk. Look, the problem isn’t the content itself, to each their own. If that kind of content floats your boat or even if you feel called to be “THAT GIRL”, go get it (but please take care of yourself off the screen). To me, the problem is the amount of people CONSUMING this content. This type of content strips away individuality and paints this unrealistic picture of what it means to have your life together. I’ll admit it; this content sent me into a spiral of comparison and really triggered me. If I was going all in on myself, I had to reframe how I want to show up on my platforms and set hard boundaries on how I consume content.

Aside from social media, the more I reflected on the woman I want to be and how I want to feel, the more I grounded myself in gratitude for WHO I DEEPLY AM. My uniqueness IS my superpower. When it comes to my content and how I show up, no amount of views or likes could get me to abandon myself. As summer came and went, I continued to prioritize myself and lean into this SZN of growth. Slowly, I started to feel layers of myself shed and this new energy arise within me. (I started to feel this shift right around my 34^th birthday; no coincidence there!) I really felt a part of my spirit awaken… she had been a bit sleepy. (I guess 2022 wanted me to slow down and rest more). Anyway, right after my birthday I passed my breathwork + meditation test out, aligned opportunities started flowing to me, new and meaningful friendships started pouring into my life, my connection to self grew and for the first time in months, I started to find the JOY & MAGIC in little moments throughout my day without feeling this nagging pressure to keep up. Each day I am reminded how important my practices are to my past, present and future self. Honoring the girl who I once was, loving myself AS I AM and embodying the woman that I strive to become is what makes up my secret, special sauce.

THE SAUCE = my daily rituals and practices that give me the courage + confidence to own who I am and go after everything I desire in my life. THE SAUCE is what makes me feel empowered to be uniquely me. This Special Sauce isn’t celery juice, a hot girl walk and donkey kicks during your @ home workout all for a 10 second video to put up on the gram. 

Everyone’s recipe for special sauce is a little bit different. It is about finding what works best for you!!!! I’m no chef, (we will leave that to @bishbitesbybrenda), but I feel confident that I can help YOU find your special sauce by sharing a few of my sacred practices with you. I’ve learned a lot in the last few months… the practices that I have implemented have helped me feel ALIVE again. I created a 10 day program where I will guide you to becoming… UNIQUELY YOU.  This program is inspired by my journey to discovering myself again. No matter what SZN of life you are in, there is nothing cooler than BEING YOU!! Click here to find out more!

Lastly, thank you for letting me share my heart with you. I hope that by sharing these glimpses into my life with you, it can help you feel less alone in whatever you may be feeling. 

All the love,

Aubre