Keeping It Real

You girls know, I keep things real. So I want to share something personal with you in hopes that, if you’ve felt similarly, you can feel less alone and more understood. I’ve been in a funk lately. I’ve had low energy, don’t feel very motivated. So many things are weighing on me and it’s getting heavy. I’ve felt discouraged, anxious, awkward, lonely, shame, and self doubt. I started wondering if what I’m doing even matters, since I’m not doing a whole lot.

Earlier this week I felt like I could burst into tears at any moment; I held it in and tried to act like I was fine, but I was not okay. Finally one night, I allowed myself to cry and let it all out. It actually felt good to honor my feelings, and it helped me weed out a lot of thoughts I’d been pushing down. I’m still trying to work through what’s going on, and in the meantime I’ve been more intentional about taking care of myself physically and mentally (meditation, breathing, journaling, sleep, sunlight, moving and fueling my body) as well as offering myself compassion and encouragement. So just wanted you to know, I feel low too sometimes; I get it, I see you.

Astounding Australia

Yesterday I remembered something I wanted to tell you, and it ties into what I just shared. For backstory, a few weeks ago my family spent Spring Break in Australia. It was last minute and super quick, only a week, but it was amazing. I already want to go back, there’s so much more I want to see, and on top of that, I would really love to speak in schools down there. The top 5 cities that listen to this podcast are all in Australia, so I’d love to connect with your communities. Anyway, while we were there, we did some incredible things: climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge, snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef, and had close encounters with wildlife. Some of the creatures we saw were astounding.

While snorkeling, our guide Zoe pointed out all sorts of marine life, like giant clams, they were huge, a meter wide. They have hundreds of eyes, they stay in the same spot for their whole life (more than 100 years). And what’s really cool is giant clams clean the ocean water. They draw in water, filter the food they eat, which reduces sediment and removes excess nutrients, and then giant clams release cleared water back into the ocean. Fascinating.

We also saw a bunch of parrot fish, which got their name because their mouths look like a beak, and their fins, instead of moving them forward and backward like most fish, parrot fish move their fins up and down, like a bird flaps its wings. Parrot fish also create sand–they eat coral, grind it up in their stomach, and out comes sand. An adult parrot fish can make up to one ton of sand per year, so a lot of beaches in the world were created by parrot fish. Wild.

We also got a private tour at a koala sanctuary, hands-on or close-up experiences with their animals. While observing a cassowary, our guide Ella pointed out its unique features. A cassowary is a large flightless bird similar to an ostrich or emu. But a cassowary’s head and neck are two shades of blue plus purple, red and orange. It also has a crest on its head, called a casque, almost like a shark fin. It has stubby wings with several long, featherless quills that stick out. And a cassowary’s legs and feet are beefier than an ostrich or emu’s, its toes are thick with giant claws, like a dinosaur. While riding the Skyrail over Barron Gorge National Park, we learned that cassowaries play a crucial role in creating and maintaining rainforests. Cassowaries eat the fruits of trees whole, and then they deposit the seeds all over. Australia’s rainforests are huge, so it’s incredible to realize how important cassowaries are for growing them.

Giant Clam, Parrot Fish, Cassowary

So after we returned home, I was reflecting on our Australia experiences, specifically on those creatures, and I found some parallels. Sometimes we may feel we are stuck like a giant clam, not getting anywhere, can’t move forward. Or we may feel we don’t fit in, like a parrot fish that behaves like a bird  and is surrounded by “normal fish.” Or we may feel we don’t have much purpose, like the cassowary with useless wings that can’t fly. It’s really hard to feel like you don’t belong, like no one understands you, like no one sees you, like you don’t matter.

The giant clam, the parrot fish, the cassowary–they’re not like the others around them. They are different, they don’t blend in, they stand out. Yet I don’t know if they realize how important they are to their ecosystem, the difference they’re making even beyond that, how much better the world is because of them, and how much they matter.

You Matter

Can you tell where I’m headed with this? Because you need to hear it. You may not be single-handedly cleaning ocean water or creating sand or growing rainforests. But I don’t know if you realize how important you are, the difference you’re making, how much better the world is because of you, and how much you truly matter. There is literally no one else on earth like you, and that’s incredible. That means you make an impact in a way that only you can. You have individual interests that develop into unique abilities. You have inherent gifts that make you special. You have your own way of communicating and connecting with others. You have a perspective that no one else has, and your very own voice that needs to be heard. 

Your kindness, your helpfulness, your empathy has had a far-reaching ripple effect on people around you, more than you know. The light you shine and share with others helps make the world brighter. You leave an imprint on people’s hearts. Whether you believe in a creator, God, a higher power, the universe–you were put on this earth for a purpose. Even if you’re not perfect (no one is), even if you stand out, even if you make mistakes, even if you aren’t where you want to be, even if you feel low sometimes, even if you’re not sure you believe it, the truth is you matter.

You Matter Printable

To help you, I created a “You Matter” poster for you to print out, personalize, and post on your wall where you’ll see it, remember it, practice it, and believe it — that’s the important part.

Resources

If you have a topic suggestion, I’d love to hear from you! Send an email (tweens get the OK from your parents) to hello@EmpowerfulGirls.com .

Also check out my You’ve Got This Year! Calendar in my Shop. It’s a printable calendar with monthly topics + quotes, giving you inspiration, organization, and motivation throughout 2025. 

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