just like we can’t fully appreciate the light without having first walked through the dark, healing requires us to acknowledge what we’ve been running from. for Day 2 of The Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed Series, we’re doing something powerful: we’re stopping the cycle of avoiding our past and finally choosing to make peace with it.

because in this economy, we don’t have time to waste being stuck in the past!!!

if you were to consciously track your thoughts throughout the day, you’d probably be shocked by how many are still looping around past experiences—memories from years ago that still hold emotional weight, even if we’ve tried to suppress or ignore them.

so much of our current behavior, our daily habits, and even how we show up in relationships is rooted in old survival patterns—ways we learned to “stay safe” in situations that no longer apply to our present. and while those patterns may have helped us cope at the time, now they’re quietly limiting our personal growth.

it’s time to lovingly let them go.

today, your task is simple—but powerful:
do a mind dump.
write down or speak aloud any thoughts, memories, or regrets from your past that are still holding onto guilt, shame, or resentment.

big or small—if it’s lingering in your body or your mind, it’s valid. let it out. i promise, you are safe to release it here. (yes, you might cry. yes, your journal will be your best friend. but i’m right here cheering you on!!!)

while you’re doing this self-reflection exercise, keep these three things in mind:

1. let yourself feel any emotions that arise—whether it’s heat in your chest, tightness in your throat, or tears in your eyes. don’t suppress them.
2. drop the judgment. don’t shame yourself for how you acted or what happened. simply observe. what occurred? why does it still feel sticky?
3. be thorough. leave no stone unturned. sometimes the memories that seem the most “insignificant” are the ones we’ve buried the deepest.

today’s affirmation:

“I trust that everything I’ve been through has prepared me for where I’m meant to be.”

you are not your past. you are who you choose to become—and today, you are choosing healing, growth, and peace.

don’t forget that i am SO proud of you, and i hope you’re starting to feel BRIGHT EYED AND BUSHY TAILEDDDDDDD!!! ✨🐿💖

💘, HANNA