#MotivationMonday (+ Book Recommendation)
Welcome back to another #Motivation Monday. I hope you had a relaxing, rejuvenating weekend and feel ready to take on the week ahead of you, but if you don't, you've come to the right place.
This week, my quote of choice comes from one of my favorite books of all time, Eighteen Years by Madisen Kuhn. Yes, I know, I know, I'm basic, but there is a genuine reason for this book of poems going viral. It's impeccable. Seriously. The writing is jam-packed with emotion in such a relatable way. As your eyes make their way across the pages, it feels like you're reading your own heart rather than a book. And for those of you who think you've seen every one of it's worthwhile poems on Twitter, I promise you're wrong. Each page contains a must-read stanza or two, so I encourage you to give this a shot, especially if you've never read a poetry book that wasn't required by your English teacher. Trust me, this will change your mind on poetry forever.
Plus, if you need a little more motivation, just like #GirlBoss, this book is on Amazon Prime and has an adorable cover, so you can always use it as decor. If I don't succeed in finding you a book to fall in love with, at least I'm making your coffee table aesthetically pleasing, right??
So, to try to entice you to read an incredible selection of poetry and get you motivated for the week, I give you a new quote.
"There is so much more for me to become. Each day, I am new."
- Madisen Kuhn, Eighteen Years
The first time I came across these words, my eyes stopped dead in their tracks. I went back and reread them, over and over and over again. Even now, I'm finding myself distracted by the words in large font because no matter how many times I read them, they speak to me.
Some days, I feel stuck. I'm unhappy with where I'm at, yet I'm unsure with where I even want to go. Sometimes, it feels like there's no way to escape the box I've drawn around myself, like people are expecting me to act or talk or think a certain way because that's how I've always been. I can't just change. I've already created the woman I am, so now I have to continue being her.
But, why? Why are we constantly telling ourselves that certain actions are just 'not like me'? Why does taking a path that diverges from our typical norm make us feel fake? I have pondered these questions for what feels like forever, as I have continued to stick to the exact same road I've always been on. That is, until I stumbled across these words.
They're empowering, captivating, and scary at the same time. Every single day we can start over. Every single day provides a new opportunity to do something different, switch up our actions or lifestyles, try something new. And if it doesn't go well? There is always tomorrow. You can scratch whatever you tried off your map and start down a different path in the morning, with absolutely no limit to the number of directions you can try.
On this Monday, if you're feeling stuck, unsure of where you're trying to head, I'm here to hand you the keys to free yourself. You have so much more to become, and you have a whole lifetime ahead of you to discover who you want to be. If you get stuck again, just pick a different path, and if you don't like it, keep trying. Everyday, you can be new, and I can't wait to see where you end up on this journey, now that you're aware your options are endless. I promise, it's going to be great.
here's to a week of self-discovery!
xoxo madison