8 Lessons from The Strength Card
2+0+2+4 = 8.
This has given us a year with the Strength card.
Take a moment to pause & think of all the ways you have strengthened your sauce this year.
· What difficulties have you overcome?
· What improvements have you made?
· What weak spots in your life did you strengthen?
You will have endured many lessons this year that have proven just how strong you truly are!
Pause and give yourself an actual pat on the back for every challenge you have risen to!
Go on, do it now…pat pat pat
Now let’s take a look at the strength card together and take it all in.
This woman is calmly holding the jaws of a feckin’ lion!
The menacing beast is surely stronger than she and yet the woman seems un-phased and in complete control over this scary threat to her safety. There’s an unexpected power dynamic here and I’m living for it.
The quiet confidence in the face of great adversity?!
#goals
You know she’s got this.
But how does she make it look so easy? What happens next? And did she make it out unscathed?
I don’t know about you but 2024 has been one of those unforgettable ‘character building’ years! And it hasn’t been easy!
Here are 8 lessons from the Strength card you can pop in your pokedex the next time you need to tame a lion/ slay a dragon/ uphold a boundary or just get through the day etc
1. Move through your life with quiet confidence. Command respect and always let your dreams be bigger than your fears. I’ve been using a confidence inducing soundtrack every time I feel self-doubt creeping in. Cheesy – maybe, but does it work – hell yes! Music is medicine.
2. Remember this is not your first rodeo. Without a doubt you have overcome similar challenges before and learnt how to handle them with grace and self compassion. Journaling is a great way for me to process situations and record keep.
3. Invest in yourself. Prepare yourself mentally and physically for future challenges. Resource yourself to handle what may come. My non-negotiables – I meditate every morning for 5 minutes. I’m in bed by 10pm every night. I book a monthly massage. I walk 3 times a day. I invest in coaching for my business.
4. Maintain a positive perspective. Now this isn’t a toxic positivity space. If somethings shit, its shit. The positivity comes from a deep self-belief that you can and will get through it. I coach people through tough times, but if coaching is not accessible for you right now then journaling to the question ‘who am I becoming’ might be a helpful reframing tool. This practice is instinctive for me now and often pops into my head when I’m out of alignment. This helps me to refocus on the bigger picture and stops me getting lost in the weeds.
5. Seek Help. Reach out for help from your support system, it's okay to ask for assistance and tell them what you need! That last part is key. I sometimes like to think of the strength card paradox of beauty and the beast being a mutually beneficial situation. Like is she a lion dentist or something? Anyway…..back to support - My husband is great at physical acts of support. My friends are 5 star listeners and give great advice. I also access therapy when I need a completely objective source of support.
6. Rest and Recover. Take time to slow down, acknowledge the importance of self-care after facing adversity. This might sound silly – but I block out the first day (or two) after any school break for me to do NOTHING. I need a day to refill my cup after full on parenting. I need what I need and I won’t apologise!
7. Personal Growth. You can do scary things. They contribute to your personal growth and understanding. Be brave! This is my first Blog on my website….I feel scared to put even more of my life, opinions and self on the internet. Writing blogs is hard! But I hope it will help others and me to grow….so here we are! (thank you if you’ve got this far btw).
8. Changed Perspective. Lion tamed, new perspective on life unlocked. More often than not the thought of the thing is scarier than the actual thing itself. Recognise your strength and then go on to achieve even greater things!
Final thought
The key lessons to take away from the Strength card is Yes. You. Can.
You absolutely have what it takes
You can get past your limiting beliefs
You can create the life you want
You can find what it takes within you to keep going and endure
You are stronger than you know.
I’ll be closing the clear off with my Year of You 2025 journaling workbook that you can print at home to self-reflect, learn from the highs and lows and closing out 2024 really aware and intentional. During the winter months I savour this practice through the cosy evenings. It’s made with the intention to fully digest and integrate the year that has passed. Bringing you to a place of sacred awareness about what you are desiring for the year ahead. Get yours here
