Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis

This book has been the most influential in my life in 2019. I was struggling to relieve stress and enjoy life. I felt exhausted and cranky. I didn’t feel like doing things I enjoyed. I was irritable. I had a day where I woke up feeling refreshed and I decided to pamper myself. I drove to a fancy mall, got a nice haircut, treated myself to Lush and Sephora, and then I walked past an interesting storefront. It reminded me of the boutiques on Rodeo Drive celebrities frequent. It beckoned to me. Once inside, I stumbled upon this book. I thought it would be interesting, so I bought it. This me date turned things around. Immersed in the book, I felt encouraged. I took pictures of some of the pages and sent them to a few of my friends who were struggling. I relaxed like I had been holding my breath and I felt the tension leaving my neck and shoulders. My back quit hurting. I started wearing makeup and painting my nails again. I started writing again. I was having time alone with God again. I was reading again. I was relying less on caffeine because I was sleeping better. I felt like I took a big gasp of air after being under water for a long time.
In her book, Rachel discussed achieving your dreams. If you want to start your own business, run a marathon, or write a book, make it happen. Schedule time for your goal and prioritize it like you would having an appointment with your favorite celebrity. Give it your best time. Wake up early or stay up late. Don’t let anyone talk you out of it or discourage you. Don’t worry about inconveniencing others. Be unapologetically yourself. Don’t be afraid to say “no”. If you don’t want to volunteer at your kid’s school, don’t. You’ll be miserable and so will the people around you. Worse, it will waste your valuable time. Touch it once. Don’t sit on the fence and debate whether you really want to attend some commitment. If you don’t want to go, don’t go. Love yourself and don’t ever apologize for prioritizing that.
