Ashley Laree

It's been a minute. 💁

I've been through a LOT over the past few years, including multiple moves, having more kids, and experiencing heartbreaking losses along the way, and I feel like I'm a very different person as a result. I feel like I'm definitely emerging from darkness back into the light, & I'm wanting to reconnect with y'all on here again. 🙌❤️

I how y'all have been well! Have you had any big life changes? What's been the greatest lesson you've learned the past few years?

Sending y'all love!

Quick reminder. ❤️🙌

Starting today!! 🎉 The sessions I've heard so far have been amazing, they are definitely worth jumping in!! 🥰

I'm speaking tomorrow afternoon, but there are SO MANY great speakers lined up with some amazing topics to help support mamas; join us!!

There is also still time to get registered for lifetime access through the VIP option, which means you can come back and review the information as often as you need it... Which, based on the topics that are being discussed, could REALLY come in handy. Just sayin... 💁‍♀️

I put the link in the comments!! 🎉

✨ So.. check this out!! I'm doing a thing!! 😁🎉 *happy dance*

I am honored to be participating as a speaker in this FREE "I Am Mom Conference" (aka "Momference" 😂💁‍♀️) on May 15th & 16th!!

I'll be talking about boundaries (& why mamas struggle SO MUCH with them... 🥴), & as a for prize, I'll be offering a free "perimeter check" coaching session for one lucky mama who joins us in this event!! (As well as a discounted rate for anyone who doesn't win the prize, but still wants to grab a session... But this discounted rate will ONLY be available to those who register for the conference!)

But hold up... What's a "perimeter check" session, you ask? 🤔

We will have a single coaching session, basically checking in with where your current boundaries are, and where there could be improvements to help you honor yourself AND everyone around you, with at LEAST once action item to help you implement some change moving forward! 💁‍♀️

So, if you're a Christian mama who's looking for inspiration, empowerment, and uplifting for your soul, JOIN US in this event!! 🥰🎉

I'll share the link in my linktree (in my bio, of course 💁‍♀️), but if you'd prefer to screenshot & copy the text from here, you can find more info at:

https://iam-mom.life/

I'll see ya there!!

❤️


PS - there's an option to upgrade to lifetime access to the info that will be shared, so you can go back and refresh with all the goodness as needed!! 😎🎉 I'm working on something special for those of you who upgrade, so lmk when you're in!!

Not the kind of "before & after" that I was hoping to share on my journey, but here we are.... 🤷‍♀️

(Orange shirt was 3 years ago, dark shirt was just last week. 😬)

Birthing two babies almost back-to-back, moving across town, multiple friends passing away, putting my "therapy" dog down, & a hot MESS of other things have collectively taken their toll. 😫

I'm grateful for divine intervention, because without it, I would be in an asylum, at best. 🥴

I've also been in therapy to work through a lot of the emotional stuff, but with the incessant demands on my time & energy, my physical health has been put on the back burner for far too long.

& I'm to a point where the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of making some changes. 💁‍♀️

I am too far out of alignment with myself.

I'm not honoring, cherishing, or even RESPECTING myself by persisting in the habits which have kept me in this state.

I don't even feel like I'm ME anymore.

The challenge is navigating HOW I can make changes in this season...

I'm massively sleep deprived, I can't currently consume half of the supplements which helped me get to where I was before, & my brain is incredibly fragmented lately (yay, trauma!! 🤦‍♀️); I have NO idea how I'm going to fit ANYTHING else into my day-to-day schedule/overwhelm right now, but my physical health is no longer something that I can put off, for MANY reasons (not just appearance).

I'm about 60 lbs heavier now, & I'm FEELING it. 😫

My body is struggling with stability & functionality, & I can't express myself fully in the ways I desire (ex: dancing).

I NEED to find my physical energy, mental clarity, & emotional stability again.

My life literally depends on it.

It's no longer an option to "wait until XYZ" to take action.

The time is now. (Somehow. 💁‍♀️)

& I KNOW that I can do this.

This "before" picture was after I'd already had 2 kids, so I am very familiar with postpartum recovery, and the TIME it's going to take (several years). It'll require patience & self love.

But it's 100% worth it.

💪😎❤️

So here we go.

Back to square one.

Drop a ❤️ if you're also on a healthy living journey of your own. 🙌

I was participating in a discussion recently about taking inspired action.

There was talk about how some people reach a certain point of success, and then they settle in and get cozy. And, as they idle away in their coziness, they will sometimes start to ignore a lot of the new inspiration that comes through, because it's uncomfortable. They justify NOT taking action, because it's "not necessary" when they're finally living their version of a comfortable life.

Until life comes through and knocks them WAY out their comfort zone again. 😬

The mentor leading the discussion brought up the point that if we continually seek to follow inspiration, we will continually be pushed out of our comfort zone, but if we are in momentum, we won't get knocked down as much (or for as long) in the process.

✨ My "gear head" brain kicked in with this analogy:

When inspiration comes through, it's as if a vehicle ignition has been fired up, and it cannot be turned off. It's on. It's time to GO.

We can try to ignore the fact that the vehicle is running, just sitting there enjoying the ac, maybe even taking a nap, but eventually the vehicle will run out of fuel, at which point we will need to go out of our way (like walking to the gas station) to replenish the vehicle in order for it to function again.

ON THE OTHER HAND:

If inspiration comes through, the vehicle ignition has been fired, and we start DRIVING that vehicle, not only will the scenery change as we go, but we will be able to intentionally stop to refuel and replenish along the way (NEVER actually running out of fuel, because we're aware & participating in the process).

Not only that, we are getting closer to our goals/destinations, gaining more experience, and connecting more with the world around us. And, once we've gotten to our destinations, we can always choose more destinations to visit from there; the journey never has to actually end!

In life, you can idle away your inspiration and never get anywhere, OR you can start moving, one inch at a time.

If getting moving is a challenge, start small. Tiny victories CAN truly add up over time, and before you know it, you're MOVING again.

❤️🙌

Absolutely. 👏

Morning Manifesto:

If THEY really didn’t matter than why do YOU play so small?

You say YOU DONT CARE, yet you’re afraid to shine.

You say THEIR OPINIONS don’t matter, yet you live life not to offend them, vs the life YOU WANT TO LIVE?

Truth is you care a lot about them!

You care more about what THEY WILL SAY vs what YOU WANT TO DO.

And that’s why you play small….

Best way to STOP CARING? 🛑

Best way to STOP FEARING ”THEM?” 🛑

Do what you want to do, and share it in front of THEM.

Let THEM talk.
Let THEM gossip.
Let THEM troll.

Hear their comments, read their words, then do it again.

And again.

Courage takes practice.
Courage takes audacity.

And only when you can live ALL IN, when you can be COMPLETELY NAKED in front of the class will you actually be comfortable with who and what you are.

Then you’ll start to really life an extraordinary life…

👊🏼

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who has noticed that it feels like the winds are changing & the tides are shifting. Changes are happening more rapidly, and we are about to be catapulted into the next season.

All of the struggles we have been enduring have been preparing us for this next chapter.

And I'm here for it. 😎

And for those who are struggling to navigate this transition, I'm here for you, too. ❤️🙌

There is opposition in all things, and with great growth comes great growing pains... But the pains are temporary. The growth is worth the process, because the growth is eternal, if we choose to embrace it as such.

I don't know what the next few months will specifically look like for me, but I do know that I'm coming into a season of supporting others again.

I hope y'all have been well in my absence... What's ONE THING you're looking forward to this year? 🥰

It's "go time" again. 🎉

✨✨ For the COACHES & MENTORS who are feeling uncomfortable about "LEVELING UP" their offerings: ✨✨

This comic right here is pointing out a strong trend I've been seeing lately: an awful lot of people in the "self help" space are moving away from meeting people at the bottom, & it shows. 😬

Let's not assume that every coach or mentor needs to be "high ticket only," cuz people at the bottom are wanting to improve, too. & believe it or not, many of them are READY to improve; they just don't know where to start. And they literally CANNOT reach the bottom rung of many mentors lately. 💁‍♀️

*Don't get me wrong, I'm GRATEFUL for the mentors who are working to mentor those who are further along; it truly helps to have accountability at ALL levels, esp when people are starting to move into abundance & influence. 💁‍♀️

Mentors at that level just aren't accessible for those at the bottom anymore. That's not BAD, as long as they're serving who THEY are inspired to serve.

But that doesn't mean YOU need to serve the same people.

Ya dig? 💁‍♀️

Don't for ONE SECOND think that because you help people at "rock bottom," you're "scraping the bottom of the barrel & settling for scraps," or "not knowing your worth or making a greater impact," or whatever the latest passive aggressive & gaslighting terms are.

If that's where you're inspired to serve, that's where you will thrive. ❤️

& Confession: I fell into this "level up" trap myself for a few years; trying to go "elite" instead of "settling" for the people I actually ENJOYED helping, because I saw so many peers doing it & I felt the need to "keep up" with them. (How disrespectful is that attitude toward my own people, btw?? Seriously, I've felt genuine shame about this.)

But in recent years, I've come back to myself, & I'm healing. 🙌

Their journey isn't mine.
AND THAT'S OKAY.

Don't give in to the pressure to become inaccessible IF the people you're called to help are severely struggling!

Focus on YOUR people.
Not the status symbols.

You'll be divinely supported, & you'll have peace in doing so.

That's worth WAY more than the $100k coaching packages you're feeling pressured to "level up" in offering.

❤️

PART 2/2 - Know when to surrender, but also know when you need to step out of your comfort zone and take care of things yourself instead; be wise in seeking help from those who are reliable & capable of helping, & stop expecting support from those who don't have the capacity (or those who have ulterior/unstable/wounded motives). If those who would "help" you are seeking to do harm, it's better to move through it alone until you can find somebody trustworthy.

Know when to sacrifice, but also know when you need to HOLD ON & stick to your values & convictions instead; be wise in establishing boundaries around the things that are important and worth fighting for, & stop throwing yourself, your aspirations, and your well-being into the fire just to keep others comfortable. These types of martyrs often turn into manipulators, cuz their needs are never met, & they go into survival mode in order to cope; they get really toxic, really fast.

So this leads me to some questions...

Where am I surrendering instead of sacrificing?

Where am I sacrificing instead of surrendering?

Where am I giving chance after chance for something to work out, constantly seeking to find another solution, another way, another divine intervention to help me incorporate something into my life, but I would genuinely be better off just cutting ties & moving on?

Where am I giving up on the things that are important & worthwhile, constantly justifying the abandonment of these things, but I would genuinely be better off just asking for help to more fully embrace those things instead?

And which areas of my life are a hot-mess mix of BOTH scenarios?

And how can I heal the wounds which are keeping me out of balance in regards to surrender and sacrifice?

There's a lot to consider.

And it's incredibly complex. Be merciful with yourself as you navigate these nuances in life.

❤️🙌



📸

PART 1/2 - THE ART OF SURRENDER (esp in the way of surrendering to God) isn't the process of "giving up" on something. It's allowing somebody else to come in and help you accomplish it more effectively, even if that means it needs to look different than you wanted. "Not my will, but thine be done." Like a toddler who hasn't yet mastered the art of getting dressed, when there is a surrender to the parent who can help, things can happen more quickly and more efficiently.

THE ART OF SACRIFICE, on the other hand, is where we DO "give up" & leave things behind. Completely. With no intention (or capability) of coming back for it. Some sacrifices are temporary, like when a mother sacrifices her body by carrying a baby in her womb and sacrificing sleep when her children need her during the night. Some sacrifices are permanent, like selling a home and moving away, never to return.

Don't sacrifice your well-being by refusing to surrender. Trying to do everything on your own, in your own way, on your own terms, can be legitimately exhausting & destructive. Without support from your divine source & a healthy community, you will burn out. NOBODY is meant to do life alone.

But also, don't get bullied into ignoring any intuitive warnings & sacrificing your safety/well-being for anyone who's guilt-tripping you & accusing you of "refusing" to surrender/ask for their help... Lots of people are trying to control you under the guise of "help" (whether consciously or unconsciously), only so they can manipulate you later.

Both surrender & sacrifice are divine tools, when used in proper order.

But when they're pushed & forced in a misaligned fashion, they can be TRAUMATIZING.

And let's not forget the nuance that often, surrender requires some form of sacrifice, and sacrifice often requires some form of surrender. In order to do either, we need to be willing to let go of one thing in order to make space for another. Whether we are letting go of control in order to allow space for help to come in and support us, or we are letting go of a thing, goal, relationship, or whatever else entirely so that another (better) thing can come into our lives.

❤️🙌

Just touching base to say hi to y'all over here, & know that I'm thinking of y'all frequently. I'm grateful for my community of amazing people, and I'm looking forward to sharing some of this journey with y'all again; I'll be back in coaching action soon. I can feel the tides shifting as I'm finding my feet again, slowly but surely, with grace and ease. ❤️🙌 May you be blessed, this Sunday and always!! 🥰