They always say, “We teach what we need to learn.”

I was on a sobriety coaching call recently and could feel their emotions rising. We took a time out and I expressed how important it is to extend grace to ourselves. Especially when change is ripe upon us and things are moving and shifting around at a rapid pace.

I talked about the importance of allowing ourselves to feel things stirring up inside of us because, after all, the only way out is up.

So, when things feel uncomfortable, emotionally charged or bring salty tears down our sweet cheeks, we must remember this means we are slowly but surely clearing them.

We are always healing, and feeling. It’s all a natural process of life and our evolution.

Especially for anyone who is making major changes in their lives such as getting sober, going through a heartache, moving, dealing with an illness whether personal or in the family or anything that falls under the umbrella of change.

I think so often we forget that we are built as humans to feel – EVERYTHING. So many of us try so hard to filter our emotions or rig things to always come up roses.

When, in fact, we are hard wired to feel sadness, grief, anger, frustration, confusion and despair. As much as we don’t like them, we must remember those feelings are equal opposites to all the amazing sensations we love feeling such as joy, laughter, happiness, clarity, empowerment and belonging.

So, let’s all remember to extend some grace to ourselves during the hard times. Because at the end of the day, when times are tough and things are moving around, recalibrating and, at times, even rebirthing, we must remember that through it all and on the other side, the inverse is awaiting.

There is an equal opposite for everything under the sun.

We can’t appreciate a rainbow without some rain. We know and respect the light because we’ve seen the darkness. We love a new beginning, but we must endure the ending that came before it to make something new possible.

Lately, I have been feeling a little frustrated because this vagabond life I chose a few months ago has been bit tricky. I’ve been bouncing around, living from suitcases and trying to embrace the home-less life that comes along with it.

Not having a place of my own is something so new for me. I’m learning more about patience and being creative with how I live, work and well, BE.

And on the days where I want to run and hide, but then feel I have nowhere to go, I face it. I remind myself that this freedom of no ties comes with its compromises.

Going forward, I’m going to remind myself to sprinkle some grace on myself and I allow myself to feel all of it, unapologetically.

Because we all have our stuff.

We all have bad days.

We all are doing the best we can with what we have in front of us, or so I’d like to think.

But most importantly, when we’re feeling all kinds of sideways, we each always have grace inside of us to call upon.

Let’s stop listening to the small voice inside telling us to drink, or use, or hide, or numb it out in ways that are not healthy for us. Let’s stop beating ourselves up for feeling certain ways. Let’s stop trying to bottle up, push down and drown out the complexities of life.

And instead, let’s give ourselves some grace. Let’s give ourselves some much needed credit for showing up. Let’s give ourselves some well-deserved and hard-earned love. Let’s remember this work we are doing in the dance of life is hard, but we ARE doing it anyways.

As I hung up from this coaching call, I was gently reminded that I’m just as much the student as I am the teacher. Namaste and grace my friends.