Be kind to yourself!

Hey Ladies,

We're family, right?

And families share.

So today, I wanted to share a little bit of my own SMARTgirls story and how these past seven years have changed me in ways I never expected.

Without going all the way back to the beginning, I'll tell you something that may surprise you...

I haven't always been a social person.

In fact, back in school, I was actually quite shy.

I know... hard to believe! 😂

Life has a funny way of stretching us, and for me, owning SMARTgirls has certainly done that. Every day, I meet new people, make decisions, solve problems, and put myself out there in ways I never would have years ago.

You've probably heard the saying, "You are your own worst critic."

That was me.

Truthfully, it still is sometimes.

Growing up in the Midwest, I was taught to work hard, be humble, and never brag about myself. Those are good values, but somewhere along the way I confused humility with being hard on myself.

If something went wrong, I was often the first one to raise my hand and say, "It was all my fault!"

Now don't worry—I'm not bragging. I'm from the Midwest, remember? 😄

But over the years, I've learned something important:

Being humble and being kind to yourself can exist at the same time.

SMARTgirls has helped me develop a thicker skin. It has taught me that it's okay to stand up for myself once in a while. It's okay to have an opinion. It's okay to say no. And it's okay to recognize that I'm doing the best I can.

You know what happened when I started doing that?

I started liking myself more.

And I think that's important because there will always be people who don't understand you, agree with you, or even like you. That's just part of life.

But at the end of the day, you have to face the person staring back at you in the mirror.

And it's a lot easier when you know that person likes who she is.

I'm still learning.

I'm still growing.

And I'm still working on being kinder to myself.

After all, God created me...

And He doesn't make junk.

So today, if you're being hard on yourself, let this be your reminder:

Give yourself a little grace.

Speak to yourself the way you would speak to a friend.

And remember that you are wonderfully made.

❤️ Terri