Nourishing Marie

Each year, instead of resolutions, I come up with a New Year’s Theme, especially for TCF. This theme becomes my beacon in which I focus or approach everything with. One year it was “Audacity” another year it was “Own It.”

Each year was reflective of where I was at mentally, my personal and professional goals, but this year? I have two. One for my business and a personal one. For The Curvy Fashionista, it is all about Flourishing. Walking in our dopeness, acknowledging it, and moving in abundance.

Personally? It is all about Nourishing Marie. You see, last September, I turned 40.  A hell of a milestone, right? Especially with Rona all around us.

To celebrate, I moved home. To California. To family. To the Beach (woooot! Long Beach).

A change of scenery to usher in this new chapter of my life and a new year.

For the longest time, as a business owner, I worked HARD. BUT, it was not always the smarter way of working. I put myself last. My relationships. Desires. Interests outside of TCF. I neglected those.

I neglected parts of me that had been yearning for attention.

And when COVID happened?

It forced me to reevaluate those things important to me.

All my family, close friends, and loved ones are home. And with daily Zoom meetings with my family, it only highlighted and magnified those things that were tremendously important to me.

So? I chose self. And the minute I landed back home, I heard the word nourishing and knew that this is exactly what this chapter was to represent.

The funniest thing also happened.

A Newfound Freedom

It felt like a cloak or cape I had been carrying has dropped from my shoulders and has allowed me the freedom to show up how I want to. Without explanation, cause, or justification.

And now that I have settled into my new place, got Mocha (my rescue) all situated in her new surroundings, I have the chance to explore, experiment, and find the things that make me happy, that bring me joy, that… NOURISH me.

Will I hop on the freeway to visit my sister and her family, being Tia Rie? Yup. Go to the beach and stare out into the ocean, grounding myself in missing ways? Ohhh yes.

I also find myself exploring what it means to be active, especially as my body is showing its age- there is a yoga spot and a floating spa on both sides of me… so you bet your ass I am going to explore a few new things!

It is visiting, reconnecting with, and loving on my closest of friends. From high school, college, and at the earliest of beginnings of TCF.

It is allowing me the space to ideate and act upon what family means to me. And even the thoughts of what it could be for me…

A New Chapter

In this new chapter and throughout this year, I already know that I will be choosing things that both scare and that will nourish. That will excite and feed my spirit. That will challenge and that will also celebrate me.

I am soooo excited to be at the point in my life and so I ask you…

What do you do to Nourish yourself and what theme will you be embracing for the new year?