To put it mildly, 2018 has not been an easy year for me. But I’m not here to talk about that. I’m here to talk about the support network I’m so lucky to have.
I saw this meme on International Women’s Day and it struck a chord with me:
Can I get an “Amen”? Because, man. AMEN.
I try to surround myself with people who bring something to the table. I’m not talking about if they can get me tickets to a show or buy me dinner. I’m talking about the ones who will drop everything to help me scrub a toilet, who will listen without judgement, who will give me the truth even if it’s not what I want to hear, who have excellent wisdom to share and who love and support me unconditionally. The people who are there to hype me up, day in and out. And we’re all in a group text. Or twelve.
I love that phrase “empowered women empower women”. Because I live that life every day. I have some amazing, strong, intelligent, beautiful, and loving women (and a couple of men) who hype me up every time I look at my phone. Whether it’s giving me the thumbs up to buy a dress I wasn’t sure of (how did I ever shop before Snapchat?), letting me cry about a bad day, or encouraging me to speak up in a meeting, these women have my back day in and day out.
I spent some time reflecting on why I treasure my group texts so much. Sure, you can always have a friend over for coffee and get the same results. But when people live out of town (or country) or schedules conflict, there is something about having the immediate gratification of getting what you need with a few taps of the keyboard. It’s like Amazon Prime for friends.
I’ve also expanded my (support) group texts to include a couple of online forums. For example, I recently joined a Facebook group dedicated to health, wellness and fitness. The women hold each other accountable for workouts, give encouragement after a rough day, and provide tips and tricks that to make better wellness decisions. I only know a couple of the group members IRL but have found myself turning to it for motivation and to share my own stories in hopes of helping someone else.
It comes down to this: surround yourself with people who are going to empower you, challenge you, love you. And if you don’t have a group text to hype you up when you need it, let me know. I’ll add you to mine.