mission monday:: what do you need to say to yourself?

Before I get into this week's mission, I'd like to share a story.

I was 23 and my husband at the time had just asked for a divorce. I was devastated and decided I wanted to go home to my parent's who lived about three hours away from where we were living and attending college at the time.

My parents, as much as they supported me and hurt for me, actually discouraged that idea. I was in the middle of the semester and would lose all my credits. There were no colleges near them and no real jobs either. In other words, there would be nothing to do but wallow and they knew that after a week or so of that, I would be stir crazy and stuck and regretting the decision.

But I was insistent. So against their express wishes, I made plans to start heading home. Then, I was talking with someone about my upcoming move and they said, very off hand, 'Well that's a shame. You only have a month left in the semester'. It's like a switch was flipped in my head and my perspective shifted. Just breathing had felt insurmountable before that conversation but now...a month. Just a month. Not mount everest. I could do this.

I called my dad as soon as I could to tell him I was staying and seeing it through. He said, through heavy emotion, 'Brandi, look at your feet. You're standing on them'.

And you know, I can't for the life of me remember that person's name who helped change the course of my life.
***

Anyway, I saw this photo and all of a sudden, I remembered that moment and saw a vision of it written on my feet. I don't know why but something in that phrase inspired me to honor that time in my life, my dad and the profound change that occurred during that time.

And then that idea led to another idea and soon I found myself with images that represented some really important times in my life. Not all good, but all meaningful. In fact, I didn't realize how meaningful those moments were until I started on this project but as the ideas flowed, I was just blown away at how far I've come, how I've changed, how I've stayed the same. Plus, it was fun thinking up ways to take the photos and what phrases I wanted to use.

So your mission this week, should you choose to accept it, is say what you would like to say TO YOURSELF. A memory, a word, a quote, an affirmation. Play around. Write it out on scraps of paper or rocks or your hands. Doodle phrases on the knees of your jeans or paint them on your toenails. Spell out your word of the year in refrigerator magnets. This can be as deep or as playful as you would like to be. Type out a joke or honor the passing of a friend. Just start with the first word or phrase that comes to mind and see what else comes up for you.

I think you will be surprised and pleased at how much you will really see and appreciate yourself.

Happy missioning joy rebels!!!

p.s. I would love to see what you come up with! You can add photos of your discoveries to the mission monday flickr group if you'd like.