Written by: Amber Taylor, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Still reflecting on 2021...
Time is a made-up construct anyway š
Last year was a really big year, a huge year for me
I literally transformed myself and my entire life
When I went to do my year-end wrap ups and reflections a loving friend told me to approach it from an all-encompassing stance instead of just a business one
And from that point of view, I really saw how much I accomplished and literally how dope I am
2021 was a year of putting myself first. Truly falling in love with myself and creating spaces for me to feel safe and supported embodying myself for who I am, as I am
THIS IS A HUGE DEAL
And I realized I found myself downplaying it because I didn't think I was where I "should" have been. "Yea I did that, but I didn't hit all my client goals or my financial goals or move out of my parentsā house." I felt as if I didn't have the tangible proof to really and truly celebrate what I did accomplish. Like I needed other people to see how good I was doing for it to be true
Even though I'm a life coach and I KNOW that goals aren't about actually achieving them, but becoming a person who does I'm still a human and it sucks to work really, really hard and fall short
Soooo I took it a step further. I explored what was blocking me from truly owning my success
And of course, fear comes into it. Not just the fear of failure because hey, me and failure are friends now. Iām intimate with it because I know failure is a part of the game, it's critical to success
And it's not as clear as a fear of success because duh I've worked my entire life to be successful, not only is it inevitable but it's already true
It was more the idea of maintaining the idea of what I thought success was ā the perfect clean buttoned-up version of myself that sets things up and knocks things down effortlessly and linearly
I was afraid of not reaching an impossible standard of success that I set for myself
That to have it, I couldn't be me or at least all of me ā messy parts included
I didn't yet see for me that success is messy, it's weird, it's trial and error, it's fucking shit up before getting it right, it's so much more nuanced and interesting than I was making it out to be. It requires me to be human, to be scared, to be anxious, to be depressed, to have an ADHD as much as it requires me to be determined, motivated, excited and joyous. It requires action and rest, healing and expansion
Letting go of what I think my life is supposed to look like gives me all the space I need to let it unfold in ways I can't even imagine
2022 I'm ready for ya. It's time to set it off
P.S. If you're ready to not only make these shifts but acclimate to the next version of yourself I can help
Amber Taylor, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Amber is a powerhouse in any arena she enters. She left her promising career in Corporate America to pursue her passion as a Life Coach. She dedicates her time to creating space to empower other Black changemakers to level up their lives without over reliance on the trope of strength and resiliency. She specializes in teaching women to be comfortable as their most authentic selves in every space they enter through the revolutionary act of prioritizing their own pleasure. Amber is a double certified Life Coach and an International Amazon Best Selling author. Her mission is to help the liberation of Black people by healing their own lived traumas and prioritizing their own pleasure.
