In high school, I always liked the teachers that didn’t care what you thought of them. I liked the ones that were dedicated to helping me be better, not the so-called “cool” teachers that wanted to be considered your friend. I have been most inspired by the people who can love me enough to hold me accountable. And since that is how I have always learned best, that is how I tend to teach.

One of my girlfriends shared that she recently attended a training class where she was held accountable. Although the lessons she learned about herself weren’t easy, they were necessary. She added, “When you walk away from some of those other sessions that are all about the fluff, you just feel fluffy.” Ain’t that the truth! Sometimes we need to feel icky, heavy, humbled and pissed. THAT is where the growth is. It’s when we are confronted with our shadow self, forced to sit in our own shit and cry because it sucks that we’re forced to grow, release and learn. It’s in these dark spaces where you’ll find the most powerful internal growth—not in the fluff.

Let’s do each other a favor: let’s begin to be more honest with ourselves and one another. Fall is a great season for that. It’s the season when we tend to go within and begin to feel the heaviness of winter coming on. So rather than shy away from it, let’s say “bring it on!” Let’s sit in our shit and actually feel it, ask it questions, journal about it or share it with people we trust so that it is not so scary or frustrating.

I have been sitting in my own shit for a couple of weeks just journaling, tapping—you know, the stuff I tell you to do. While it’s usually not fun, I honestly can say that I FEEL my heart opening more, my Spirit exclaiming “Finally!” in relief and it feels damn good!

Mantra: I sit in my shit and I free my spirit #SIYS