Affirmation and Stereotype Threat

Triangles are my favorite shape. Three points where two lines meet.

Toe to toe, back to back, let's go, my love, it's very late.

Accomplishment, affection, adventure, ambition, close relationships, confidence, coolness, courage, economic security, effectiveness, enthusiasm, excellence, excitement, freedom, friendships, having a family, health, helping other people, helping society, honesty, inner harmony, inspiration, integrity, loyalty, meaningful work, money, music, personal development, physical challenge, pleasure, power and authority, purity, recognition, romance, security, self-respect, stability, truth and will-power.

It's about overcoming a self-doubt that I'd never be "grown up, responsible or awesome enough" to have my own family. Now that I do have my own family it's really cool because not only have I overcome this doubt but I love it a million percent. Every day is awesome. It defines me, and with former doubts aside - is something that now feels like it naturally was always a part of me.

This is a common topic of discussion amongst my circle of friends at the mo. It went something like this. "Jaz do I keep working at my job even though it potentially is making me physically sick, my work is no longer about the people, it's about the money and I feel insignificant. Shall I just stop and have babies?". This is not so much an episode of issuing advice but moreso a validation or affirmation towards one's general life direction. It'll be interesting to see how the next year plays out!

The above values are like an achoring point that I can see myself refering back to in times of future need. We're on the start line of what is essentially a 10 week mental (and by mental, I mean intellectual) marathon that's going to really stretch and expand us (in wonderful ways), so it's probably highly inevitable given the fast paced go-go-go nature of this course that there will be low times. I'm certainly rooting for this energizer bunny to run its full course at top speed. But it's not just about being able to physically endure this, reducing sleep to optimize output. It's a mind, soul, body thing, where everything goes into the pot.
Yes I think reflecting on our values can help "mentally reset" difficult times and mediate any stereotype threat that may surface over the next 10 weeks but I think "balance" is just as, if not more important. I believe I'm gonna be ok with the work (fingers crossed!), it's more the workLOAD being insanely huge and the subsequent guilt that comes with this - the more I'm working on this, the less I'm 'living' in other importat areas of my life. The sacrifices (regardless of how short-term they are) I predict will be the real pressure point for me. So this is where family time, good food, tonnes of running and lots of laughing will be super valuable. I do love a good balance.