What Serves You – An Erin Take Over

She is back and taking over!  Check out what our partner in crime, Erin Goyer Bink of Erin Marie Artistry has to say below!!  
#proudmomentsallaround

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When I talk about my experience in front of Lindsay’s camera I typically talk about my struggles to attain a positive body image and how I strive everyday to learn to love who looks back at me in the mirror. But you guys have heard that story from me before. Today I want to talk about something a little deeper than the surface. Today I want to talk about something that my self and a lot of women around I know seem to be struggling with. I want to talk about a few things you are allowed to do as a woman.

Lately, my life has hit a pivotal point where I know I am required to makes some changes if I want to continue to grow. These changes require me to do 3 things:

1.) Ask for help

2.) Let go 

3.) Say no

I know. The trifecta of hell , right? These three things have been in the back of my mind for a few months now knowing I need to implement them in to my life but hadn’t really made it a priority because, well to be honest, it has taken me a while to feel like I was allowed to do these things without feeling guilty about them. Not only was I feeling this way, but  I found that the more I confided in the women around me, I realized they too, in one way or another, were feeling similarly in their lives while they were searching for growth in their careers, or relationships, families, etc.

I recently read that a survey found that 96% of women feel guilty at least once a day, with roughly 75% of respondents reporting an elevated sense of guilt after giving birth. NINETY SIX PERCENT. Dang y’all! That’s a whole lot of women walking around feeling like they are falling short in one area or their life or another. Being in a job where I get to meet and get to know so many incredible women everyday, I can tell you, this is a complete shame. 

So what if we all shifted our perspective?

We feel guilt about asking for help because it makes us feel vulnerable and insecure to admit we cant do it all. But what if instead, we felt that asking for help made us powerful? There is power in having the confidence to say  “I can’t do this alone”. There is a difference between a confident person who asks for help and an insecure person who is too afraid to. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weekends but a sign of strength.  

We feel as though we can’t let go of the control because we fear what will happen if we do.  But what if we realized we were never in control anyways ? There is quote by Steve Maraboli that’s says “You must learn to let go. Release the stress. You were never in control anyway”.  So let go. Open yourself up to new possibilities that aren’t there when you’re attached to one “right” path. Set yourself free from your own expectations. Let go of things that don’t serve you. Leave relationships that hinder you. 

Saying “no”. Oh the guilt. But what if saying “no” didn’t mean denying someone else of something but instead it meant NOT denying yourself of something? Saying no to things you don’t enjoy or things that don’t move you forward means you will begin to preserve your most valuable resources: your time and your energy. 

So let this be your reminder: This is not a one-size-fits-all life. You are ALLOWED to say no (and yes for that matter). Stop being apologetic for your choices. You are ALLOWED to ask for help. It’s ok to require things from others and ask for what you want. You are ALLOWED to let go of the control. Find freedom in letting go and finding new paths. 

So, cheers to growth and new chapters. Thank you all for continuing to love, support, and grow with us. We have such a bright and exciting future with big plans ahead. So shout out to you guys for joining us on this self-love journey. Shout out to Voltron Magazine for putting some of these amazing images in their latest print issue. What an incredibly huge moment, going from a girl who feared wearing shorts because she was ashamed of her body, to a girl being published in a magazine. I am eternally grateful.  Shout out to Hotel on Rivington for quickly becoming our home away from home in NYC where so many amazing images have been captured and memories have been made. And last but not least, shout out to my amazing partner in crime, Lindsay, for always encouraging my growth and, of course, capturing these beautiful images. You are such a major player in my life and I am so grateful for you. 

That’s it guys, that’s all I got for now.  Until next time… xo Erin 

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To order your copy of Voltron Magazine, CLICK HERE

….and a few snaps of Voltron Magazine below!