Dearheart, we embrace the song and the story and all our gifts because the world has such great need, and because the world exceedingly rejoices, and because there is no sadder thing than to leave this world having never really shown up.” - Carrie Newcomer

Happy New Year Beautiful Ones!

Is it just me or is it hard to believe that we are in 2022?! I for one am grateful to be alive. Did you realize that in the last 2 years the world has lost 5.5 million people. There aren't many of us who have not been touched by this pandemic in some way, and the struggle is real. In spite of global turmoil and a lack of funding, our tribe had a lot of growth. What this tells me is that people are in need of connection now more than ever. In September we launched our new home, The Village, and the response has been incredible. If you haven't yet joined us there please come and say hello! I promise to greet you personally when you arrive.

Part of being a good leader is being able to show others your own vulnerability. It's not easy for most of us, but it's important to remind others of our own humanity and fragility at times. The month of December was incredibly difficult for me personally. It started out with my abuser surfacing again, and then it just snowballed. One hard thing after another. Anyway, by the end of the month I felt burnout coming on strong, so I did the responsible thing...I asked for help, I took a break to rest, I have slowed down, and I will continue to learn new ways to cope with my stress.

"If you don't make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness." - Joyce Sunada

I want to remind you to take a break every now and then. Take time to evaluate the areas of your life that are stressful. Take time to revisit your personal boundaries, and try something new. I am going to take up knitting (If anyone wants to start a knitting group let me know). We can't just keep going, and going, and going, and not expect to burnout. Take care of yourself so that you will continue to be able to show up for yourself and for others. Our children depend on us to help them make sense of a nonsensical world. It's a confusing time and I don't have the answers to all of the questions that I am asked, but I listen and I acknowledge that I am hearing them. It's okay not to have all the answers or to have it all figured out. It's okay not to be okay, but you must lean in and ask for help, you must take care of yourself, and you must show up.
I look forward to seeing you shine and grow in this new year.

Cheers,
ELLA'S FAVORITE THINGS
I have decided that when I come upon a product that I absolutely love I will share it with you. I bought the Serenity SniffElixer as a stocking stuffer for one of my kids, but decided that I needed it more (read opening letter). I simply love it. It's a nasal inhaler made from organic essential oils, and it works so well! So much so that I reached out to the family run company to tell let them know. They responded in kind, and sent me a few of their other products, which are all just as amazing.
Keep an eye out as we plan to sell them in our store soon.
I wanted to share with you our number one post from 2021. It's simple and to the point and it resonated with over 463K people all around the world. On Instagram alone it was liked over 26K times. It's an important message not only for me, but for all of you. We all have areas of healing that we need to work on, but until you can learn to sit with it, you will keep trying to avoid it.
You have to feel it to heal it. It's as simple and as hard as that.
WHAT EXACTLY IS BURNOUT ANYWAY?
Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress that leads to:

  • physical and emotional exhaustion
  • cynicism and detachment
  • feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment
Burnout is not simply a result of working long hours or juggling too many tasks, though those both play a role. It can also appear in other areas of your life, such as parenting, caretaking, relationships (and even a pandemic). Most likely the feeling of constant lethargy, depression, and anxiety are the result of not feeling like you have any control over a given situation. You're in deep and don't see a way out.

It is really important to check in with yourself because burnout is an insidious creature that creeps up on you as you're living your busy life. If you are experiencing some of the above symptoms, watch out or you may find yourself on a slippery slope. Take some time to honestly assess the amount of stress in your life and find ways to reduce it before it's too late. Burnout isn't like the flu; it doesn't go away after a few weeks unless you make some changes in your life.

Signs of physical and emotional exhaustion:
  1. Chronic fatigue. 
  2. Insomnia.
  3. Forgetfulness/impaired concentration and attention. 
  4. Physical symptoms.
  5. Increased illness. 
  6. Loss of appetite.
  7. Anxiety. 
  8. Depression. 
  9. Anger. 

Signs of cynicism and detachment
  1. Loss of enjoyment. 
  2. Pessimism. 
  3. Isolation. 
  4. Detachment. 

Signs of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment
  1. Feelings of apathy and hopelessness: "What's the point?"
  2. Increased irritability. 
  3. Lack of productivity and poor performance. 
I want all of you to take stock of where you are right now in the first month of the year. Look for ways to relieve stress and reevaluate situations that are just not healthy for you. I am sharing this with you because as I mentioned above, I am teetering on burnout. I realize this and I am now doing what I need to do in order to take care of myself and find a better balance in my own life.

If you would like to learn more about burnout here are a few articles you can check out from Psychology Today:

SHOP FOR GOOD
We have some great new Merchandise and we are excited for the new items that we will be bringing to you this coming year. Please remember that all proceeds go directly back into our organization for operating costs.

Wherever you are right now on this big beautiful planet please know that you matter. You may not feel that you are extraordinary, but you are. There is no one else in this world who is just like you, and your gifts are singularly yours. Go out and illuminate the world with them! Ask yourself how you can be of service to humanity today. The world needs all of us to show up, now more than ever. 


Please remember that Rebel Thriver is a 501(c)3 Organization and we depend on your support to grow and continue providing sustainable programs.