Revel in Wondrous You: Accepting Yourself in this Moment

04/09/25 • 20 min

Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens

When does self-improvement cross the line into self-flagellation? Are we using personal development and goal setting to undermine ourselves? How can self-improvement and self-acceptance co-exist in a world that increasingly wants us to choose sides?

In this episode, we'll reflect on what's working in our lives and strike a balance between self-improvement and self-acceptance by acknowledging and being mindful of our wondrous qualities. We'll:

Explore the ways we feel wondrous or do wondrous things that define our integrity and personality.
Understand how self-belonging, self-reliance, and self-acceptance co-exist in our lives.
Distinguish between feeling wondrous when we help others, and being wonderous as a natural state of being.
Consider how being more self-accepting can enhance our striving for personal goals by empowering us to change because it feels good, not out of feeling "less than."

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Want to reengage with yourself and put creative self-care back on your to-do list? Head over to my website, lettheverseflow.com, and sign up for my free newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape. Twice per month, I’ll send you 3 essential, hand-curated links/resources on creative self-care tips, tools, and strategies.
Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.

Songs in this episode: Super C by JMPSCR; Slide by GEMM; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters
Related Episodes:

Believing in Yourself: How Self-Reliance Grows (#47)

The Art of Belonging: Creating Space for Yourself (#43)

Personal Growth Is In the Process: How to Love Where You Are (#42)

Build a Personal Growth Practice (with Creative Self-Care) (#14)

Journal Prompts:

Which of my personality traits or mindset qualities is wondrous?
Write about your intention to recognize and be present with your wondrousness more consistently throughout the day.
Do my personal growth goals feel empowering, or am I putting too much negative pressure on myself? How can I restructure my goals to be more attainable?

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

In this episode, we'll reflect on what's working in our lives and strike a balance between self-improvement and self-acceptance by acknowledging and being mindful of our wondrous qualities. We'll:

Explore the ways we feel wondrous or do wondrous things that define our integrity and personality.
Understand how self-belonging, self-reliance, and self-acceptance co-exist in our lives.
Distinguish between feeling wondrous when we help others, and being wonderous as a natural state of being.
Consider how being more self-accepting can enhance our striving for personal goals by empowering us to change because it feels good, not out of feeling "less than."

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Songs in this episode: Super C by JMPSCR; Slide by GEMM; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters
Related Episodes:

Believing in Yourself: How Self-Reliance Grows (#47)

The Art of Belonging: Creating Space for Yourself (#43)

Personal Growth Is In the Process: How to Love Where You Are (#42)

Build a Personal Growth Practice (with Creative Self-Care) (#14)

Journal Prompts:

Which of my personality traits or mindset qualities is wondrous?
Write about your intention to recognize and be present with your wondrousness more consistently throughout the day.
Do my personal growth goals feel empowering, or am I putting too much negative pressure on myself? How can I restructure my goals to be more attainable?

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

Previous Episode

Making Time for Art: a 10-Minute Creative Challenge to Recharge Your Day

Do you struggle to make time for artmaking, causing you not to get started?

Do you think your art isn't worth appreciating or sharing because it's not good enough, finished, or polished?

Sometimes these negative thoughts can be overcome when we lower the stakes around our artmaking. We may put so much pressure on ourselves, that it stifles our creative process. And that's a shame because the world needs your creativity.

This episode is about recognizing the benefits of short creative boosts. Let me show you how 10 minutes of creativity can add more pleasure and fulfillment into your life—and stoke your creativity for longer sessions. I'll also bust the myth that artmaking isn't worthwhile if we don't produce an acceptable art product. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Short boosts of creativity can reduce stress, help you process pent-up or anxious emotions, provide relief, and help you envision new possibilities in your life. I'll also talk about the deep connection between creativity and mindfulness and how creating a habit of engaging in 10-minute creative boost activities can open your mind to divergent thinking and help you solve problems

I'll get you started with four creative boost ideas that you can use today, tomorrow, and the next day.

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Songs in this episode: Goose and Lime by Ghost Beatz; Slide by GEMM; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters
Related Episodes:

Art Appreciation for a Weary World (#50)

Forward Facing: Fight for Your Creative Passions (#39)

Keep Your Creative Spirit Alive: Focus on the Journey (#29)

Creative Flow: Self-Care That Matters (#21)

Resources:

Making art is good for your health. Here's how to start a habit

Can 10 Minutes of Meditation Make You More Creative?

Journal Prompts:

How did 10 minutes of creative play feel? Jot down what you notice about your mood, stress level, and your emotions.
What happens when you devote time to the process of art making without an agenda for completion or a product?
Are there any boundaries you must set to be able to devote 10 minutes to your creativity? If so, write about how you will set those boundaries to give to yourself in this small, but important way.

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

Next Episode

Stripping Down to Essentials: Exploring Minimalism in Midlife

The older I get, the less stuff I seem to need.

For most of my life, I was firmly rooted in the knick-knack, bric-a-brac camp (isn’t bric-a-brac such a great phrase?). I love thrift stores, but as I get older and learn to say goodbye to my mom's things as a way of accepting her Alzheimer's, I feel like a weight is being lifted. Could it be that I'm embracing some semblance of minimalism in midlife (or a little past midlife, but who's counting).

I've learned that it's not the items themselves (the stuff cluttering up my spaces) that I can’t live without; it’s the story the item tells that holds me in its grip. But not anymore. I’m stripping down to essentials and sharing what I'm learning. In this episode, I explore:

Saying goodbye to my mom's things in stages, along my grief journey.
How getting older frees you to live with less (and feel complete without the things you once thought you needed).
How to hold on to memories and the stories behind objects without keeping everything.

In our complex world, we may need to create safe spaces, open spaces that nurture and protect us, perhaps even spark our creativity and problem-solving. Decluttering can open us up to exploring new passions, ideas, and hobbies as we strip down our external world of unused stuff and turn inward. Lastly, let's remember that we can hold onto the memories that objects evoke without keeping them. Our memories live on in our heart and mind.

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Poem: Claimed Memories

Songs in this episode: Tea Time by Falls; Slide by GEMM; In The Clouds by Falls; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters
Related Episodes:

The Loved Ones We Carry (episode #6)

Dealing with Dementia (Caregiver Tips & Journal Prompts) (episode #13)

Resources:

5 Reasons Why You Should Consider Becoming a Minimalist

Me-Time Mixtape: Minimalism for Mental Health

Journal Prompts:

Would decluttering your space offer any benefits to you? Write about how having more space could impact your life.
Write a list of 10 essential things that you can’t live without. Now write a list of 10 things you can throw away or donate. Compare the lists and think about what’s most important to you.
And for fun, if you could only take 5 single items with you to a deserted island (excluding people), what would you choose and why?

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com