enCOURAGEment...Notes on a Well-Written Life

First steps are always the hardest…the boldest…and the bravest.

Maybe your first step is realizing that you’re feeling a bit lonely in a relationship.  Or maybe it’s saying “NO” to an automatic “yes” in your life.  Or maybe it’s realizing that in order to get a new result in your life, you need to make a call, talk to someone, get support to change.

First steps are always about COURAGE and never about not being afraid.

This is the first blog for enCOURAGEments…Notes on a Well-Written Life.  Maybe like me, you’ve stared at the empty screen waiting for inspiration.  Or your thumb hovered over “send” because it seemed just a little too scary to reach out to say “I’m sorry”, “I love you”, or “I'm afraid”. Or maybe school assignments,  finances,  work applications and exams feel like a boulder of  worry on your chest, and you’re not sure where to start. Life as a parent, teen, or a young adult is fast-paced, often confusing, and a little bit overwhelming, especially when we forget ourselves and focus on what we must do that we’ve never had to do before.  enCOURAGEments is about giving you a First Step so that you can live a well-written life that knows the courage of moving forward in a backward-step world. Here’s what I’m learning:  First steps take exactly a split second of courage, and then a deep exhale.   The EXACT words I need when I'm about to take first steps were said in the movie, "We Bought A Zoo”:  “Sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage…” (Not great film, but what a great moment!)

I’ve finally figured out how to navigate this blog format.  For an embarrassingly long amount of time, I was stuck in taking the First Step. I didn't know how to start writing  to parents or teens or young adults about the very things I talk about every day in my office:  parenting teens and young adults well; finding healthy ways to deal with anxiety, depression, shame and trauma; making solid choices in relationships, work and school choices; choosing to have compassion for ourselves instead of living in punishment, pain and injury. I also talked to clients who repeatedly say it’s the First Step that stops them from doing the next great thing in their life.  I realized that if I couldn’t walk the talk I do in my office everyday, I wasn’t going to be effective. I wasn’t sure how to start, and, for a brief moment, forced myself into a belief that it had to be “perfect”.

Nothing stops a First Step like perfectionism and fear.

So here’s my First Step.  Today I’m encouraging you to write that first phrase in the well-written life you want.  Take a deep breath, look at what you want, and just take one FIRST STEP in the right direction.  It won’t take more than 20 seconds, and it can change your life in a very big way.

Need enCOURAGE Counseling?

Your story matters here.  At enCOURAGE Counseling, you’ll find a safe place to work out your dreams and conquer your overwhelm.  Together, we can create First Steps…then second steps…and third steps…until you’re living the life you want and thriving in relationships you desire. Call for a free 15-minute consultation to get ready for your First Step!  720-230-3076 or visit my website to send an email:  encourage therapy.com.  Be brave.  Take the first step.