📝 Issue #4: Trusting Myself...

Trusting Myself... Even When It Feels Like Celery 🥬

I used to hate eating celery. I thought it was only for dieting — bland, boring, and something you forced yourself to eat because it was good for you. Over time, "celery" became my personal metaphor for discipline — doing the hard, healthy thing even when it’s uncomfortable or unappealing.

I even got a tattoo on my arm to remind me.

Isn’t she cute? 🥰

For the last few weeks, I’ve shared some affirmations as well as a few personal tidbits from my life here on Substack. But I’ve only shared stories from my past, because those seem easier to share than what’s going on in my current day-to-day reality right now.

It’s probably because once I’ve climbed the mountain and overcome an obstacle, picking up the megaphone to shout my way out to the masses feels natural. It’s the way of becoming a teacher, to let your mess become your message, and to share your story hoping it becomes someone else’s survival guide.

But picking up the megaphone on the way UP the mountain? Yeah, I think NOT. 🏔️

Working my way through a struggle feels like an uphill battle, trying to hang on for dear life, gathering tools along the way and desperately hoping you can reach the other side of this monumental feat.

📣 How the hell would I add in holding a megaphone while I’m already having trouble hanging on to the bare minimum?

How could I share about my struggles while I’m currently living through them?

Signing up to create an OnlyFans sounds like a less harrowing task—surely showing people my butthole on the internet would be easier than documenting a struggle in real time. 😂

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However… vulnerability has always been something I greatly value in others, and I know it’s one of my strong suits as well. I also believe that I’m here to teach the things I also need to learn for myself. I’m ready to be more open and transparent, and hopefully encourage you to as well.

So this week, I’m sharing a big life decision that feels exactly like that — something I know is best for me, even though it tastes like celery 🥬.

Here goes letting y’all in on the biggest hurdle on my plate at the moment: my live-in partner is moving out. Whew. 💔

In our effort to maintain a healthy relationship, we’ve been going to therapy for the majority of our almost 3-year dating history. We’ve navigated so many ups and downs, worked on shared goals together, grown so much as a couple, and have come to the realization that cohabitating is just not what’s best for us right now.

This wasn’t an easy decision to make, but it was the right one for us. 💡

In my long relationship with my husband, when it came down to us making decisions to take space from each other at times, we always retreated to the (illusion of) safety by staying together. We let our fears keep us from stretching our wings, and therefore, we never got to find out what would happen if we’d actually been able to take a brave step into a scary future, knowing that it’s what was best for everyone.

I made a promise to myself after losing my children’s father that I would be the best mom that I can be for them. And allowing myself more room and space to grow and figure out exactly what kind of mother I want to be is me keeping that promise to myself.

It’s been a long process of learning to trust myself, something I’m still working on every day.

And I’m so grateful that I’ve found a partner who wants what’s best for everyone as well, even if it means doing healthy things that taste like eating celery. 🥬💖

💡 This week’s affirmation:

✨ "I trust myself to make the right decisions for my life." ✨

It was around a year ago, I started to realize how much I struggled with self-trust. I was deep in therapy, doing EMDR, working out the kinks of living with my kids and my new partner all under the same roof, and trying to find my voice as I began to write (a book) about my life in a deeply personal way.

I was so emotionally overloaded that I’d fall apart, completely flooded and triggered at the drop of a hat. I had no idea how I could keep doing these hard things, especially when I was so afraid of the outcome. I needed to trust that things would work out, and it became apparent that trusting myself would help me trust in everything else around me.

I hung a sticky note on my bathroom mirror, repeating the affirmation until it started to feel natural. The more I trusted in myself, the more I trusted in those around me. I created new friendships, deepened my relationships, and relaxed into my mothering journey in knowing that I don’t have to be perfect, I just have to trust myself

Now as I embark on this new transition of living solo with my kiddos again, this time as a more healed and whole version of myself than when I was freshly widowed 4 years ago, I am leaning more and more into this pillar of self-trust that I’ve been anchoring myself to all year. 💪💜

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Trust Yourself: We’re All Climbing A Mountain 🏔️

Here’s the thing—I was nervous to bring you along on this part of my journey. It’s raw. It’s vulnerable.

I’m ‘still processing…’ and sometimes it’s hard to let people in while I’m in the thick of it. But then I realized, this is exactly what I need to be sharing right now. The real-time, in-the-moment struggles are where the growth happens. It’s messy, yes, but it’s the part of the process that allows you to witness transformation as it unfolds.

This is where we practice what we preach, right? How often do we second-guess ourselves? How often do we look to others for permission? How often do we try to avoid the discomfort of uncertainty because it’s so much easier to take someone else’s advice than trust what we know deep down?

Learning to trust yourself is one of the most powerful shifts you can make. And you’re capable of it. Can you remember a time when you really trusted your gut and it all worked out? Maybe it was a little scary, but when you listened to your intuition, things fell into place. That’s the kind of trust I’m talking about. 🙌

You don’t have to justify your choices. You don’t have to explain why you feel what you feel. You are allowed to trust yourself—fully and completely. 💫

You’ll be amazed at how quickly your anxiety begins to fade around making decisions when you know that you’ve got your own back. You don’t need to wait for permission from anyone else—you’ve got this. 💥

And, as I’m navigating my own transition and trusting myself along with the process (whether it knows or not) in real-time, I want to invite you to reflect with me:

📩 Where in your life are you learning to trust yourself more?Hit reply & let me know—I’d love to hear about the ways you’re leaning into your own self-trust. We’re all on this journey together, and sharing our stories makes us stronger. 🌟

What I’m Up To: A Real-Time Life & Work Update 💫

• 🌸 "Fill Your Cup" @Bryan’s Green Care in Hobbs, NM 3/30 — Plant medicine and painting come together for a SUPER fun Self Care Social. Curious? Message me for details!Save Your Spot!

• 💖 Self Care Sunday Circle in Odessa (April 6th) — Join me for a FREE event at Anumi Day Spa to relax, recharge, and honor yourself. RSVP Here!

• 🧘‍♀️ 1:1 Coaching Available — Ready to dive deeper into building self-trust or navigating life transitions? Let’s work together! Message me for details.

• 🎥 New YouTube Video on Self-Trust — Stay tuned for this week’s video! We’re diving deeper into how to stop second-guessing and start trusting your gut. Here’s the channel:Unhinged Healing on YouTube

💌 Have questions or feel called to chat? Simply hit reply to send me a message — I’d love to hear what’s on your mind and how I can support you!

Thank you for being here and being a part of this community! You’re exactly where you need to be.

Learning to trust myself right along with you,Mindy ✨