Taking care of yourself is productive...

Back in the day I used to take pride in “burning the candle at both ends” as they say. Now I’m diligent about knowing my limits and prioritizing my well-being. It doesn’t mean I don’t feel a little guilty if I’m not able to accomplish everything on my to-do list. What it means is that during this current stage of my life, so-called “hustling” is just not a priority to me anymore. 

Self-care is what takes precedence over everything else and a major part of my routine, especially this past year. Whether it’s something simple like making myself breakfast, getting at least 7 hours of sleep, or doing some type of exercise, I deliberately set time aside no matter what. As a result, I automatically feel better about life in general and accomplish tasks even more efficiently, among other things.

Of course that’s not always possible. Deadlines are deadlines when it comes to work and school. We all have bills to pay and some of us have side aspirations that are equally as important to us. However, when given the choice to make yourself sick agonizing over some lofty goal that can wait till tomorrow, next week, or even the following month versus taking adequate care of yourself, I hope you choose the latter one. 

My self-worth is no longer defined by my ability to “sleep when I’m dead” and I refuse to carry the weight of needing to accomplish all the things, all the while rapidly deteriorating. I don’t know about y’all, but I’m tryna live. 

Love from, Janelle Ryan 😘

Don’t give all your power away so freely…

Find a way to reclaim it while you still can.

None of us are strangers to loss, betrayal, or grief. Some far worse than others unfortunately. The initial shock alone can be debilitating, in addition to the ongoing trauma that comes with repeatedly mulling over what happened.

Healing is not linear. The journey is messy, filled with many ups and downs that could go on forever. But life is also too short and we can’t get one second back. I don’t know when my time is up, regardless at some point it will certainly come to an end.

Why are we letting past transgressions that occurred against us dictate our entire future? There’s always a present way forward out of the darkness and into the light. Bit by bit and piece by piece, even with the tears still in your eyes, I hope you fight like hell to break free from those chains.

Try to control how you respond to it at the very least. I personally started to take back my peace by boldly sharing my story with anybody who would listen. Instead of drowning in my own sadness, that relief helped me to realize that I’m not alone.

You shouldn’t have to bear that cross in the first place, so put it down and take a load off for a minute. The shame spiral, the fear, the what ifs, the uncertainty, the drama... all of it all stops here because we’re in this together.

Love from, Janelle Ryan 😘

You deserve so much better than that…

Even if it doesn’t quite make sense right now.

When you’ve been stuck in a series of seemingly never ending bad situations, it can feel like there’s no way out. Deep down inside you may want more, but after awhile it’s practically a figment of your imagination, as if it doesn’t actually exist.

Dead ends suck the life out of you. The majority of your free time gets spent dwelling on it. You can’t even muster up the strength to do anything else besides soothe your sorrows and it leads you to make other self sabotaging decisions.

Misery also loves company. They don’t call it a generational curse for nothing. How do you even start to break free when you’ve been conditioned to have faith in a particular type of mindset or behavior? Your mere desire will be met with resistance from all sides, especially by the people closest to you.

I’m here to remind you that there’s a whole new world out there filled with endless amounts of possibility, besides what you’re currently experiencing. The best part is that the minute you quit settling for less than you deserve, it literally sets off a ripple effect and an inner shift begins to happen.

You can have peace and be at ease for once. We just have to fight to make better choices going forward. It’s all up to you and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.

Love from, Janelle Ryan 😘

It’s not easy putting yourself out there…

But I’m doing it anyways.

Overthinking is legit my worst enemy. Either I’m ruminating on what happened in the past or I’m worrying about the future. Staying present feels utterly impossible at times.

Not to mention I can’t help but analyze every last bit of my entire day. What went right, what went wrong, and what I wish I did differently. It’s a never ending series of thoughts.

Anxiety can be a serious buzzkill and a major deterrent if you’re not careful. We can literally psyche ourselves out before we’ve even begun. For this very reason, I’m forever on a mission to not let anything or anyone hold me back - including Janelle.

Oftentimes it can seem like everyone else makes it look easy, like nothing ever fazes them. When in reality what I’ve learned is that the more we put ourselves out there, the easier it gets. Your inner critic get quieter and your outward confidence begins to build.

There’s so much I’m determined to accomplish and the possibilities are endless when I give my dreams a fighting chance. Maybe you’ve got aspirations of your own at work, in love, at home, in play... whatever it is. I hope we can all find a way to rise above our self-imposed limitations.

Love from, Janelle Ryan 😘

Almost nothing has gone according to plan...

I'm learning to be OK with that.

Over 15 years ago, I took a chance by packing my bags and moving to NYC from the Boston area. I didn't know anyone or what the hell I was doing, but I knew what I wanted. At the very least, I wanted to try.

Maybe you’ve struggled like me. There have been far too many losses to count. So much of it is still so hard to truly fathom. Yet we’re still here, refusing to give up.

With great wisdom comes greater responsibility. I’m not the same person I was when I embarked on this journey and neither are you. Our wants, needs, goals, visions, and everything in between have evolved.

I strongly believe that once you’re a creator, you’re always a creator. That can be artistically, entrepreneurially, or just anyone who has ever had the desire to build something for themselves or to share with others.

Give yourself permission to believe again, instead of cowering in shame. Let’s harness the super power that lies within the lessons we’ve learned and find a way to put that newfound knowledge to good use.

Love from, Janelle Ryan 😘