Master your emotions with confidence

The ponderings of a Feral Housewife

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Hey Reader,

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How was your week?

I'm guessing you've been as busy as a bee 🐝like usual.

Busy is good.

I hope you've also taken time to sharpen that blade of yours ⚔️ with some R & R (rest and relaxation). Part of working smarter, not harder is sharpening your mind by taking meaningful rests.

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I'll never tire of drilling that advice into your inbox!

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Do you know why?

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Because if you're like me, you resist the slow, quiet, unproductive time. You think you're lazy if you're not outputting at max capacity. Or you imagine others are judging you for it.

For example, as I was writing this, two of my dad's friends came by to take our obnoxious rooster away and to have wine, cheese, and crackers with my dad. (He's a popular guy!)

My dad wasn't home, so it was up to me to be hospitable. I was sitting on my back deck in a t-shirt and sweat pants, rambling in a Word document on my laptop soaking up the sun.

Inevitably one of them asked if I was 'working from home'.

(Have you ever felt a pang of guilt when someone asks; what are you doing?)

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Immediately my mind panicked.

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Am I working?

I looked like I was working, but technically I don't have a "job".

Not at least the way they were thinking. I don't make money writing. (Maybe someday, who knows?)

How to answer such an innocent question without feeling like a criminal?

I chose to come clean.

"No, I'm writing." (They'll probably think I'm lazy— people don't know what to make of a person simply writing.)

Then I began justifying.

"Well, I homeschool my son (among a million other housewife tasks), but today he's at a friend's house." (so I'm playing, ok???)

UGH ANNA!

Do I value myself and my writing enough to call it "work"?

I should've simply said with confidence, "Yes, I'm working. I'm a writer."

I've designed my life to be simple and (mostly) debt-free to have certain freedoms, like time to write, be creative, and homeschool my son.

And yet, I still can't validate it or dissipate the guilt.

So when I preach to you about NOT feeling guilty, I'm preaching to myself as well.

I still battle that awful mindset that resting, self-care, and doing something that brings me joy is a waste of time.

Guilt is one of my enemies.

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Who are your enemies?

Guilt isn't my only enemy.

But it's my most frequent torment.

It's important to know who your enemies are, just as much as knowing who your allies are.

Why?

You can't conquer an enemy if you don't even know its there.

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An enemy is something or someone that fights against you and blocks you from succeeding.

Webster's defines it as: one seeking to injure, overthrow, or confound an opponent. An antagonist or hostile force.

We recognize the antagonist in a novel or a movie, right?

It's the person or thing stopping the main character from having what they greatly desire.

Hopefully, you don't literally have someone trying to injure or overthrow you!

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Do you know your enemies?

Take a few minutes to think about: who or what is working against you and what you want in life.

Write your answers down.

If you struggle to name them, think about what keeps you up at night or what makes you hesitate to chase your dreams.

I'm going to share what I wrote in my rambling Word doc (before I was interrupted).

What is my truth? My enemy?

My enemy is Satan the devil, first and foremost. He either wants me miserable or destroyed forever.

Death and time are the two runners up. I can’t control these two forces. I just need to not fear them.

Self-doubt and self-confidence are my personal demons. Not knowing how to handle my emotions or manage my speech or difficult situations.

Perfectionism, fear, guilt, doubt, lack of faith, overthinking, not knowing how to let loose, experiment, play.

Most of my life I’ve been fighting against my own mind.

Does any of that resonate with you?

Some enemies, like self-doubt, feel personal. While others, like time and evil, are universal.

What’s the loudest one in your life right now?

Your list may be entirely different than mine.

If you're comfortable sharing, I'd love to hear what you came up with.

Now that you've identified your enemies, can you identify your allies?

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Who are your allies?

Allies are friends (or core values) that not only cheer you on but keep you on the straight and narrow. They help you achieve your goals and to say focused.

Like enemies, allies can be personal or universal. Maybe it’s a person, a habit, or even a quiet moment with a good book.

Take a few minutes to think about this and write it down.

Here's a brief summary of mine:

My creator.

My sense of duty and caring for my family

My creativity and writing.

Friends who make me feel safe.

Other people (and books) who support my learning and personal growth.

Note: sometimes “enemies” (difficult people) can help you grow as well. Ever notice how a tough conversation or a challenging person can spark growth you didn’t expect?

That's why it's not always good to avoid or ignore difficult people or situations in life.

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In Summary

The rooster is gone and now my mornings are somewhat quiet again. Whew. 🐓 Cock a doodle do! Now how to reduce traffic lol.

You can't conquer your enemies if you don't know who or what they are.

If you know your allies you can use them to conquer those enemies!

Sometimes our biggest enemy is ourself or our mind.

And that's why I write this Fun and Feral weekly newsletter, to share with you how I come to identify and then slay those inner dragons. It's not easy and it make take time, but we are NOT alone.

Have a great weekend and if you have a minute I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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Until our next feral, fun, Friday adventure,

Anna

P.S. If you're enjoying this newsletter why not forward it to a friend?

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This weekly newsletter is a labor of my creative love meant to inspire you to intentionally grow in all areas of life, especially emotionally, because what you think and how you feel influences everything. ​ If you're enjoying this newsletter why not forward it to a friend? ​ You can also send them a subscribe link: ​​​​Start Mastering Your Emotions with Confidence Today!​ ​ Heal your inner world to heal your outer world. ​ With love, Anna Celotto Creative & Digital Writer