FREE + NATIVE | Me First
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Every once in while you come across someone who inspires you enough to make positive changes based solely off the way they live their life. Lacy Phillips, of FREE + NATIVE, is one such person. Her online "journal and holistic guide and forum" is a source for beauty, wellness, and intentional living that as Lacy says, helps us return to the way we were "when we were free and native". In an effort to share this with you, we are delighted for Lacy to join us in a bi-weekly, four-part post series for anyone who is more interested in introducing wellness and intentional living into their lives. We begin today with her guide to everyday wellness, "Me First".
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FREE + NATIVE WAS BORN OUT OF THE NEED TO hold a space where I could connect community, help be a force in guiding the feminine, and point us back to what life was like when we were a little more free & native—instinctual, connected and grounded.
I’ve been blessed with a strong circle of women in my life, and even more blessed to have worked with incredibly inspiring women such as cosmic dream and Moon Juice founder Amanda Chantal Bacon and the endlessly inspiring ACE Palm Springs designer Frances Merrill. Both of these women really introduced me to a visual for how full your work schedule can be, how in love you can be with what you do (though spread incredibly thin), and still being able to find your very own unique way to connect with yourself.
I absolutely love Pure Green Magazine’s approach and commitment to leading a conscious lifestyle and deeper personal connection. I think we can all take inventory of our own lives and benefit from tapping into our personal needs by implementing this suggested, unapologetic guide to “Me First”.
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ME FIRST | It’s so important as a human to have time to unplug, reward, and collect. American culture is centered on loads of work and stress. I’ve never been very committed to either, and find it incredibly important to create space or “me time”. Daily, I meditate or check in with myself to gauge how grounded and energetic I feel. And when it comes to favors, mentoring, or a general hang with someone, I make sure that I’ve accomplished everything I need to accomplish for myself before, and that I’m up to giving that energy away.
ORGANIZE | I love this Skillshare video for it so easily illustrates how to keep organized lists, checking them often, and cross off completed tasks. I apply this to my personal life and business. After incorporating this into my life, my mind was blown away by how much wasted space and energy is exhausted in our lives when we aren’t organized. Skilled organization leads to much more free time, diligence, and space for creativity.
SCHEDULE | Keep an up-to-date calendar. Not only does this share the same perks as organization but it has the added value of being able to physically see if you are spreading yourself too thin. You also feel much less guilty about having to say “no” once in a while.
Every Friday I check my upcoming week’s schedule and make sure to shift around anything that isn’t serving the betterment of my company, self, or those I love.
TREAT | Once a week, biweekly, or monthly treat yourself to something special. It can be a home spa, an extravagant new piece, or something nourishing. Whatever it is, it’s important that you reward yourself often. This revitalizes your whole being spiritually and on a cellular level. It also slows down time, and reminds you how special and unique you are.
CREATE SPACE & TIME | So many people I love have trouble putting himself or herself before everyone else, or rewarding themselves before those they love. This has never been an issue for me because I’m the first to realize that when my energy is spread thin, I’m undernourished, and I’m chemically not operating on a happy level, everyone around me pays—energetically and emotionally. And that’s incredibly unfair. This is why I create time and space. Time to workout, eat well, work hard, and space to collect my thoughts, energy, and emotions.
Creating a special space in your home for this is ideal. Your own zone to disconnect and reconnect. Time is the other crucial aspect to this equation. Even if it’s five minutes a day or three intervals of 30 minutes a day, find it. Then you can give your truest vibrant self to everyone around you.
