Tag: affirmations

Self-improvement Women empowerment affirmations • encouraging quotes June 3, 2024 By AMANDA FLUDD 4 Comments

20 Encouraging Quotes From Phenomenal Women of Color

Being authentic is not easy, especially for women of color. The relentless expectations and societal perceptions about who they should be are exhausting. This constant pressure manifests as self-doubt, holding back ideas, anxiety, worry, and stress—a regular internal battle that most people can’t even begin to comprehend.

Therapy,, psychotherapist, black therapist speaking to a black woman about stress, imposter syndrome

We witness this struggle firsthand in therapy and when I coach our leaders. We see brilliant, fully equipped women being subtly held back by the world around them. These microaggressions often fuel an internal battle of self-worth, triggering imposter syndrome. The real work involves creating distance between these emotional threats and our true capabilities and recognizing our belief in ourselves and the expertise we bring to the table.

The journey is about reclaiming our space and affirming our right to be authentic, capable, and remarkable despite the world’s efforts to say otherwise.

“I am not less, because I’m Black. And I am not less, because I’m a Woman.”
– Marian Wright

If today is one of those days you are tired of fighting for your value, motivation is running low, or you are just looking for self-assurance, we hope to inspire you with the words of other phenomenal women of color as you continue to create the change you wish to see. Find a quote that works for you and repost one for a friend.

If you are overwhelmed and it’s disrupting your peace, book a therapy appointment and let’s chat. There is power in adding a dope therapist to your team.

In whatever season this finds you, I hope these positive quotes by other women of color will help you feel motivated and inspired.

(1)

“It’s time for you to move, realizing that the thing you are seeking is also seeking you.”
— Iyanla Vanzant

(2)

“You can fall, but you can rise also.”
– Angelique Kidjo

(3)

“If you prioritize yourself, you are going to save yourself.”
– Gabrielle Union

Quotes of encouragement for women of color. Prioritize yourself. Dress for success and a great mood.

What I will say is that what I’ve learned for myself is that I don’t have to be anybody else and that myself is good enough; and that when I am being true to that self, then I can avail myself to extraordinary things. You have to allow for the impossible to be possible.

–Lupita Nyong’o

Stepping Out In Style

(4)

“Life is short, and it’s up to you to make it sweet.”
– Sadie Delany

(5)

This is your moment. Building courage for women. Women in business coaching.

“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.”
-Oprah Winfrey

(6)

“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.”
― Angela Davis

(7)

A reminder that you are good enough. Your worth is important.

“Am I good enough? Yes I am.”
– Michelle Obama

(8)

“Walls turned sideways are bridges.”
― Angela Davis

(9)

“The way to win is to try.”
– Stacey Abrams

(10)

“Determine to live life with flair and laughter.”
– Maya Angelou

(11)

“When the heart is right, the mind and body will follow.”
– Coretta Scott King

(12)

“I got my start by giving myself a start.”
– Madam CJ Walker

(13)

“Only make decisions that support your self-image, self-esteem, and self-worth.”
– Oprah Winfrey

(14)

“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.”
– Maya Angelou

(15)

“You don’t become what you want, you become what you believe.”
– Oprah Winfrey

(16)

”Don’t listen to those who say YOU CAN’T. Listen to the voice inside yourself that says, I CAN.”
– Shirley Chisolm

(17)

“Let nothing dim the light that shines from within.”
– Maya Angelou

(18)

“Be healthy and take care of yourself, but be happy with the beautiful things that make you, you.”
– Beyoncé Knowles

Spring collections?Being what you want!!

(19)

This blog provides inspirational quotes and messages to all young women of color. I

“I am no longer accepting “Even if it makes others uncomfortable, I will love who I am.”
– Janelle Monáe

(20)

“Some of your goals are buried so deep in fear it doesn’t have access to what it needs to grow”
-Amanda Fludd

Did you find at least one quote that resonated with you? Take that quote and say it aloud to yourself when you need a little encouragement, and better yet, share it with other phenomenal women of color. There is someone in your circle who needs to feel encouraged today.

Amanda Fludd, LCSW-R is a Licensed Psychotherapist, Speaker, and Mindset Coach for high-achieving professionals. Her joy is tackling mental health on multiple platforms. She is available for speaking engagements (workshops, panels) and coaching. You can also find her at the annual Renew Connect Restore Black Women’s Health Retreat.

To inquire about therapy appointments: https://amandafludd.com/make-an-appointment/

How to Follow Through On Your Goals

Confidence Personal Development Self-improvement affirmations • Power of words October 11, 2021 By AMANDA FLUDD 2 Comments

End Self Criticism and Learn To Like Yourself

You are amazing. You are more than enough. You are creative, talented, effective, and beautiful. Yet, so self critical.

The truth is, many of us often engage in a very critical inner dialogue flooded with “I can’t,” “should’s,” “what if’s,” or “I am not enough.” Words that play into catastrophic (imaginary) outcomes as it plays out in our minds (often in elaborate detail) and throws a wrench in our progress.

Have you ever wondered why you can be so self-critical and how to tackle the thought I am not enough?

Here’s to some deep soul searching today.

In rare cases, self-criticism can be helpful- it may give some valuable insight, but it’s rare. The problem with self-critical thoughts or that unchecked inner mean girl is it takes a direct hit at your confidence and sense of self. Unchecked, it increases your risk for stress or experiences like depression anxiety.

Don’t think your way out of how capable you are. Instead, remember that thoughts are not facts, and if you shift your thoughts, you can shift your experience.

Ten affirmations to replace critical conversations:

I am capable of doing hard things.

I am focused and persistent.

I am safe.

I am in charge of my own happiness.

I am doing the best that I can.

I am capable of creating positive change.

I am the expert in the room.

I am dismantling systems that create inequity piece by piece.

I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

I am proud of myself and all that I have accomplished.

Which of these speaks to you?

To embrace those I am’s and respond to them in meaningful ways instead of our fears, it becomes essential to explore the source of our negative thoughts. With awareness, you can gain the insights and skills to reframe self-critical thoughts, so they don’t continue as barriers as you execute your goals.

Let’s tackle I Am Not Enough

It’s one of the most common self-critical thoughts. It is often connected to early family stories, invalidating environments, traumas, or shame-based experiences that can emotionally paralyze us in real-time. For example, Mark (definitely not his name), grew up with a very old school strict father who wanted him to “man up,” a consistent message in his young life. When his eight-year-old self (the client) brought home 90’s, it would be met with, well why isn’t it a 100?

While it was never clearly stated, what is the underlying thought or belief you hear with this example?

It’s not enough.

As a developing being, if you repeatedly hear negative messages, it can quickly become internalized into this belief that no matter how hard I work, it is not enough. I have to work extra hard to be “enough” or be seen, acknowledged, or accepted. The most challenging part is that the achievement will never resolve “I am not enough.” It becomes complicated to feel or be satisfied. This dynamic around this idea of “enough,” or any self-critical thought, can consequently create space for things like anxiety, perfectionism, worry, overworking, and stress.

How do I change the I am not enough thoughts?

A significant step to change is awareness. It’s helpful to think about where the thoughts or ideas come from.

Ask yourself when does this happen to me, and begin to get curious about the experience.

Ask, why do I feel like I’m never enough? It is important here to also take a moment to acknowledge the feelings that accompany that experience. Often those same emotions you notice were never given space and were instead met with the message don’t cry, what’s wrong with you, or feelings are a sign of weakness.

Once you realize that thoughts based on your past may still be showing up to control your present, it gets easier to address them in real-time, like using the above affirmations. The key is finding the unhelpful thoughts or beliefs based on old ideas that no longer support your life and learning to reframe them. It becomes easier to like who you have become, accept you are enough, and embrace your success with new perspectives.

Reflection Point: Changing The I Am Not Enough Thoughts

Figure out the source. Spend some time unpacking your thoughts and feelings.
To help your awareness – Try journaling, meditation, or other contemplative activities to find and release the things holding you back. You can give our self-love journal a try. The prompts help you to approach self-criticism from a place of self-compassion.
Every time you have a negative or critical thought, replace it with a new thought that uplifts you and makes you feel good enough. Or repeat to yourself, I am good enough or another affirmation as mentioned above. The research suggests that affirmations can help you to perform better. Spending just a few minutes thinking about your best qualities can decrease stress, increase your confidence, and improve your chances of success.

A Licensed therapist and coach for high achieving women. It’s important to note when resolving complex thoughts is challenging, it is also helpful to enlist the support of a therapist or a coach.

Mindset Personal Growth Self Care Stress affirmations • Productivity • Reclaim Your Time August 28, 2021 By AMANDA FLUDD 0 Comments

Give Your Sanity And Productivity The Weekend It Deserves

Whatever this week has brought you, let that mess go.

It’s the weekend, and your mind has done enough backflips around expectations, criticisms, and judgments that it just needs rest.

Now, decide that you are the most important woman in the room, and let the next decision you make honor what you really need. Is it rest, to laugh, to sit idle on the front steps with a beverage and watch the sunset or the moon rise?

“The pain and stress and anger and sadness and loneliness and frustration and fear and cravings and irritations that we will experience today … they are made up. We can let them go as easily as they arise. They are unnecessary if we realize that we’ve created them for no good reason. Instead, see the beauty in every moment. In every person’s so human actions. In our own frailties and failures.

This world is a morning poem, and we have but to see it to be shaken by its beauty, over and over”.

~Leo Babauta

It can be hard to permit yourself to let go and prioritize yourself. With that in mind, here are 13 mantras to support you as you release the week and reclaim yourself:

I’m living a purposeful life.
I trust the timing of my life, and I know that I am exactly where I am meant to be.
My life is becoming calmer
Loving myself is as important as loving others
I do not allow grudges to become a part of me
I release the stress of the week
I permit myself to focus fully on my self-care
I will not criticize myself. I will love myself for who I am, what I have become, and where I am going.
I am proud of myself
I am allowed to make mistakes. Mistakes are a part of my growth
I am resilient; I will get through this difficult time.
I am an amazing gift to myself, my friends, and the world.
I am not only enough, I am more than enough, and I get better and better each day.

http://https://youtu.be/zo1hBjMBjvI

Even 5 minutes is better than doing nothing

Taking a moment to self-nurture and embrace self-care can happen any time- sipping a hot cup of tea, laughing with a friend on the phone, gardening, and noticing the smell of the grass- it’s just sometimes we are so preoccupied, we miss it. The key is to take your 5 minutes, or whatever moment you decide, and show up fully, staying present in the moment and aware. In addition, since your thoughts play a part in your overall success and happiness, its important to find ways to improve your mindset. Adding affirmations to those moments can be encouraging because it shifts any negative thoughts you may be unknowingly entertaining and can help reframe them, supporting a positive mood, happy feelings, ideas, and attitudes.

You deserve that.

Anxiety Confidence Corporate Mental Health Covid-19 Depression Mental Health Self Care Stress affirmations • aniety • worry December 21, 2020 By AMANDA FLUDD 0 Comments

Why Letting Go of these 3 Kinds of Worry Will Help You Have an Awesome New Year

2020 has been an unexpected year and the uncertainty of it has thrown everyone into a whirlwind of anxiety, sadness, doubt, or a different kind of tired- Covid tired. A new year is approaching and it’s important to let go of any baggage that’s weighing you down and make space for what’s to come. As long as you have breath in your body you can create, dream, make room for joy, and live with intention despite uncertainty.

COVID-19 is like that unwanted house guest that you want to leave, but you can’t seem to get rid off.

For a lot of people – children and adults alike, this pandemic is kicking up worries, and making it difficult to get things done. What most people don’t realize is that the time you spend OVERTHINKING about a situatin instead of doing something actually feeds your stress and drains your motivation. The key to navigating stress, anxiety, worry, and overwhelm is getting a handle on WHAT you are thinking and that is what we’re going to get into- the importance of letting go of worries and it’s on your life.

Let’s do a quick exercise that will help you reduce that baggage of stress and worries you’re carrying right away. Ready? Grab a pen and paper and write down all your worries for a minute. Write down whatever you think about during the day, the thoughts on your mind now, what you feel, thoughts related to your business, your family, relationships, whatever is on your mind. Transfer all that pain, worry and negative energy to that piece of paper.

Now, take a look at what you wrote on the paper, and crumple that paper up and throw it away OR rip up the paper as dramatic as you can, shred it to bits!

How do you feel? I hope you feel a little better. Although this will not get rid of your problems completely, this simple exercise is a proven method to calm a person who is constantly in their head and at the mercy of their worries. It’s an exercise that teaches you the value of letting go. Whenever you feel worried again, write it all down, take a deep breath, tear it up, throw it away and let go.

Drop the worries that no longer serve you

Fear of the future

A lot of us get excited about the whole new year, new me and are motivated about new goals, but let’s get real, new goals (or the ones that didn’t happen this year) and dreams can be scary. A lot of my work is coaching women to from fear to success in their business and fear is the number one thing that paralyzes progress. Fear is what is behind anxiety, but often our fears are a bit exaggerated. A quick tip: Ask yourself how bad is this really? Start to tackle what overwhelms you by breaking it into smaller steps or chunks of time. With a little bit of practice you can let go of fear and the unhelpful thoughts that drives it.

The Need to be busy

Covid-19 shut us down- actually for safety, and mentally because it put a pause on our need to do as much as we can in a 24 hour period. Busyness has become the new normal. If having back to back appointments and being in demand equates to doing a good job, it’s easy to mistake busyness for purpose and validation. This pause has given us time to tune in and realign our lives through things that matter to us, like classes to develop our skillsets, fixing up the house, to getting some needed rest. Rest and relaxation is probably the antidote to worry, as well as prioritizing your time. It is the key to reducing stress, improving your emotional health AND resting is productive. Yet, it is hard for some of us who are used to filling every moment of time to simply take a break. A break gives you a moment to take in things like the satisfactin of your accomplishments, quality relationships, and the other details of life that can refuel your energy, support internal validation, and propel you forward.

To tackle your new need for intentional time, block it out! Fill your schedule with tasks and activities you want to do, it’s harder for others to steal your time if you’ve already blocked off key tasks for yourself, and it makes it easier to say “nope, not today”. Schedule key tasks of the day in chunks of time, as well as breaks and time off (vacation time isn’t optional). The key here is to be realistic about what needs to be accomplished for the day, with flexibility to be responsive to changes instead of reactive. Let go of the need to be busy.

The need to be in control

Anxiety and stress happen when you feel like you’re not in control and spend too much time trying to force things to work out the way you see it in you head. The hard truth is that you’re not in control of most things in your life. You can rarely predict how the next chapter of your life will play out or the weather for that matter. Avoid wasting your energy trying to control everything. I know, easier said then done. It might help to take a step back and think about how control plays out in your life, the purpose it serves, and where this need for control comes form. [Take a breath] Accept that you cannot control the circumstances of your life, but you CAN control your reactions and what you do with what’s handed to you. That means you have a lot of power yourself- don’t believe me? Make a list of all the things that belong to you- your health, your decisions, your emotional wellbeing, etcetera, etcetera. Refocus your energies there and take notes on how it creates change for you and in your environment.

Choose an Affirmation that Fits You

A few mantra’s to reinforce shifting control back to you- see which one best suits you and make sure to write it down on a sticky, put it up on your bathroom mirror or computer or even try scheduling it on your phone as a reminder. The goal is to recite it at least once a day until it becomes a new way of doing.

I release all fears of not being perfect. I am good enough

I live my life without restraints

I let go of the need to control others

I’m 100% in control of my life

I let go of my need to be in control

Worrying and stress will impede your productivity and create chasms between you and your goals for the new year, holding your happiness hostage. As counterintuitive as it seems, letting go of your fear of the future, the idea that you constantly need to be busy and the urge to be in control of everything will actually open up great opportunities for you. Not only will it improve your productivity and performance, but it creates a healthy mindset that will serve you right if you treat it well.

I’d love to hear what your goals are for next year and what you plan to let go of before January 1 rolls around. Leave a comment below with your thoughts.

~Amanda Fludd, Psychotherapist & Mindset Coach for Women in Business and Entrepreneurs

Self-improvement