55 | When You Do The Most But Expect The Least: Letting Go Of Shrinking Yourself

⚡️Click Here To Text Monique!This week's episode dives into self-love and transformation! Join Monique as she discusses the importance of recognizing your worth and embracing your true self. Inspired by a profound coaching conversation with a client, she explores the concept of being "low maintenance" and its detrimental effects on women, particularly women of color. Monique unpacks the societal pressures that lead us to minimize our needs and accomplishments, urging us to embrace our bigness and the unique contributions we bring to the world.This episode is a call to action for all women to acknowledge our worth, celebrate our achievements, and demand the support we deserve. Press play to start your journey to break free from the limitations of self-doubt and step into your full power.📢As a special note, Monique is opening her coaching waitlist for February 2025. You can sign up through her website to receive updates and secure a spot for transformative one-on-one coaching.GEMS DROPPED“An interesting ​gift ​of ​having ​a ​strong ​reflection ​practice ​is ​that ​the ​reflection ​teaches ​you ​a ​lot ​around what ​did ​and ​didn't ​work ​right. What ​did ​I ​learn? ​What ​do ​I ​need ​to ​let ​go ​of? What ​were ​some ​of ​the ​strengths ​and ​the ​weaknesses ​of ​that ​season? ​What ​were ​the ​lessons? ​And ​now ​I ​get ​to ​take ​stock ​of ​what ​in ​me ​has ​changed ​and ​what ​that means ​for ​my ​future. ​It's ​not ​like ​the ​analytical ​sort ​of ​assessing ​and ​processing, it's ​something ​that ​has ​the ​fundamental ​elements ​of ​who ​I ​am.”“The ​concept ​of ​being ​low ​maintenance, ​it's ​really ​a ​special designation ​that's ​reserved ​only ​for ​women. ​It ​was ​designed ​to ​keep ​women ​mentally ​busy ​with ​this ​impossible ​sort ​of ​dance ​and ​not ​having ​needs. And ​so ​what ​we're ​supposed ​to ​do ​is ​to ​be ​small.”“​I ​think, ​hopefully, ​prayerfully, ​at ​some ​point, we ​have ​the ​opportunity to ​one ​day ​catch ​wind ​that ​something ​is ​off. Like, ​​how ​am ​I ​supposed ​to ​be ​small ​and ​need ​nothing, ​yet ​bear ​all ​this ​fruit, ​create ​all ​of ​these ​things and ​be ​the ​vessel ​for ​such ​huge ​transformation ​in ​the ​world? There's ​a ​discrepancy.”“There ​are ​some ​baseline ​needs that ​we ​all ​have…ways ​that ​we ​can ​be ​more ​specific, ​to ​be ​more ​precise about ​how our ​bigness ​functions. When ​it ​comes ​to ​this ​level ​of ​acceptance ​and ​understanding ​about ​ourselves, about ​fundamentally ​who ​we ​are ​and ​what we ​have ​to ​offer baseline ​level, can't ​nobody ​take ​that. ​Nobody ​is ​going ​to ​shame ​you. And ​it ​just ​becomes an opportunity ​to ​exist ​more restfully, ​more ​peacefully. And is one of ​the ​greatest ​manifestations, ​I think, of self ​love.”"We ​are ​making ​outsized ​contributions ​in ​the ​places ​and ​spaces ​that ​we ​care ​about, ​and ​we ​are ​not ​treating ​ourselves ​in ​accordance with ​that ​contribution. ​We ​think ​others ​deserve ​more ​than ​we ​do ​because ​there's ​this ​distortion ​that ​exists ​in ​who ​we ​actually ​are."“We ​all ​deserve ​to ​have ​our ​distorted ​mirrors ​absolutely ​demolished ​​and ​to ​see ​ourselves, in ​our ​true ​radiance ​and ​all ​of ​our ​unique ​nooks ​and ​crannies ​and ​ways ​of ​being ​as ​beautiful ​and ​worthy ​of ​support and ​love, ​​especially ​from ​ourselves.”STAY IN TOUCHCome and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to [email protected].