The Warmth of Your Inner Voice
an original article by candy washington
this was first published in l.a. style magazine
It’s a warm Sunday morning in West Hollywood, and I can feel the sunbeams peeking their way through my blinds, determined to interrupt my sleep. As an entrepreneur, Sunday’s are one of the few days of the week that I let myself sleep in, so I’m holding a playful grudge against the sun. I roll over and stretch my entire body and then I set my intention for the day, “Today, it is my intention to relax, release, and enjoy my day off.”
I’ve quickly learned over the years of building up my own on-camera, blogging, social media, and consulting business, from the ground up, that if you don’t take the time to slow down, enjoy the process, and allow yourself to relax, then you’ll inevitably burnout, breakdown, and extinguish the flame that once ignited your soul.
Setting my intention for every morning allows me to be grounded and focused throughout the day and serves as a guiding force for my actions. If I need to buckle down and pitch brands, catch up on emails, or create a strategy for a campaign, then I set the intention for productivity. On the days that I need to edit and shoot photos, write, design, or record a podcast, I set my intention for creativity. I let my intention be the wave that I ride throughout my day.
I also make sure to periodically check-in with myself to ensure that I’m present in what I’m actually doing at the moment and not operating on auto-pilot. This ensures that I’m paying attention to my intuition and gut feelings, which is one of the most powerful resources we have as human beings and is what I’ve always based my most important life decisions upon.
Never underestimate or ignore the power of your inner guide, that little voice of your higher self that whispers in your ear, because it’s there to gently guide you to the next right direction of your life. I’ve found that meditating, focusing on your breath, practicing mindfulness, and being present in your stillness are transformative ways to tap into discerning the voice of your inner guide. Journaling is another powerful way to get in touch with how you’re feeling and use it as a tool to take inventory of what themes are recurring in your life.
As I’m lying in bed, basking in the warmth of the sunbeams that are now dancing on my sheets, still not quite awake yet not quite sleep, I send unconditional love, support, and protection to my mind, body, and soul. I can feel the warmth of my inner thoughts wash over my body and penetrate my subconscious mind. Bathing myself in self-affirming mantras is how I cultivate a healthy and loving relationship with myself.
Consciously elevating your self-belief is fundamentally one of the most effective ways to live a more fulfilled and complete life, because every relationship that you will ever have is a direct reflection of the relationship that you have with yourself. This means the relationship that you have with your family, friends, lovers, spouses, and your career is just a manifestation of the relationship that you have with yourself. If you don’t love yourself, you cannot love others, and if you don’t respect yourself, others cannot respect you.
Once I internalized this principle, everything changed for me. My validation and self-worth came from me, my internal source, rather than some external person or perceived success, therefore nothing and no one could ever take away my inherent value as a human being. I am here, therefore, my life is meaningful, and I matter.
This was the essence of why I wrote my first book, Sugar Pills: 10 Days to Awaken Your Inner Power, because it’s imperative to know that our work is what we do and it does not define who we are. The book is an interactive journal and guide that shares actionable insights on how to elevate your self-esteem and self-confidence through self-love.
I wanted to share how I learned how to separate being my authentic self with the public persona that we often take on as ‘the parent of,’ ‘the spouse of,’ ‘the sibling of,’ ‘the boss of,’ ‘the founder of,’ ‘the creator of’ and so on. Once we are able to tear back the layers of the titles that we wear, it’s revealed that we are all intrinsically the same and inherently connected.
It’s extremely humbling and empowering to know that we are not in it alone, but that we are all the same shadow and light versions of ourselves, dancing our way through life. I now know that I have the power to set my own intentions. I have the power to determine my level of self-love, self-esteem, and self-worth. I have the power to choose the trajectory of my life and create my own destiny. I have the power to wake up every morning and to choose joy. I have the power – and so do you.
