When I was a kid, I used to know this girl. And she was awesome. At any given time, you could find her in her tree house, up in a holly tree that reached higher than her house, or perhaps even in a bush. Literally. Here she relished in simply, purely, authentically, being her.

Looking back now, I realize she was the coolest person I knew, but at the time I thought what other people thought was cool decided coolness, and at the time she appeared to me to simply not measure up. Sometimes, I witnessed others expressing they had similar thoughts of her lacking-ness…sometimes they’d express this to others, sometimes directly to her.

Recently, I’ve reunited with this girl.

I’m making it my personal mission to honor the awesomeness that I always knew was there, though I largely took for granted without ever telling her. To be honest, when I sit back and think about all those years I knew her growing up, she has consistently been remarkable in a number of ways that are so often overlooked, rarely acknowledged or truly appreciated, and so obvious, that I bet a number of those I felt had viewed her as uncool were actually thinking quite the opposite about her.

Along with committing to honoring her like never before, I’ve also chosen to partner with her. She’s become my go to gal. I check in with her countless times throughout the day. I’m giving her a chance to voice her opinions, thoughts, feelings, suggestions, recommendations, and desires. I’m learning she has a keen sense of knowingness and she’s quickly proven to be quite an invaluable adviser, often leading me to prosperous and fulfilling outcomes and enjoyable experiences.

I would at this point make an offer to introduce you to this gal who has made such an impact on my life, but I can’t do that for two reasons. First of all, you would be much better served to experience this first hand through reconnecting with someone you’ve lost connection with in the same way I have. And second, you already know her. To address both of these points at the same time, “She” is me, and I invite you to reconnect to your inner self, the one you were naturally connected to as a young child, and honor, love, and listen to yourself like never before, and like no one ever has.

You also hear about and know the importance of self-care. In fact, you likely “should” on yourself daily with all the “should’s” you “should” be doing in order to be, do, and have all that you desire in life as a mompreneur. Before you will ever follow through on the self-care you know you need and even want to do, you must start with the basics of self-love. Literally taking the time to love yourself, to acknowledge and compliment yourself, to seek the validation from within that you perhaps desire your relationship or bank account to reflect.

When you take the time to ask your inner self, the one that others over look, disrespect intentionally or unintentionally, the you that isn’t recognized, acknowledged and complimented to the degree your awesomeness actually deserves, the you that so rarely gets to speak her mind fully and completely…give that voice, that you within you, a voice. You be the one that listens. You be the one that takes the time to ask you: How do you feel today? How was your day? Is there anything I can do to support you in this moment? What do you want? You ask you, and then listen. You might get an instant answer, an intuitive hit, a knowingness. You may simply get, “I don’t know.” Both are perfect. Both are right. Both are valid. And both will lead you to the life you desire.

As mompreneurs, we could always benefit from additional support, and partnering with yourself gives you one more ally ready to uplift and support you at any time. When I turn my attention toward loving myself, suddenly nothing else matters. Good, bad…it all pales in comparison. And a funny little thing happens when nothing else matters. In that space, in the balance of being completely empty and overflowing at the same time, this is where anything is possible and you can truly tune yourself into the abundance that surrounds you. This door can only be unlocked and opened through the power self-love.