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The Personal Journey Starts With Self-Care

August 13, 2019 By Uncoveries

self-care

When I think back on what’s made the biggest difference in my personal journey over the past decade, I realized it had to do with prioritizing self-care.

It began with focusing on what I needed for my personal definition of self-care.

Prioritizing the things that nourished my body, mind and spirit. From the little things like reading a book, making time for exercise, honing my daily routines, experimenting with ways to make my life better and paying more attention to how I look and feel. To the more complex behavior and mindset shifts such as feeling more confident, taking more risks and knowing my worth.

It didn’t feel natural at first… it felt awkward, indulgent, and inconvenient.

After all, who has time for these things when there are so many things to do? Those people must have way too much time on their hands.

At least, that was my thinking when I was at my most miserable and unhealthy state about five years ago.

But over time, prioritizing self-care began to feel more natural.

Now, I embrace routines and opportunities for self-care, even though some days it can be still hard to come by. It’s become a new way of life that I’m constantly honing and improving upon.

Prioritizing self-care has resulted in a lot of changes.

1) I’m easier on myself

When you take better care of yourself, you reinforce the fact that you don’t have to be pushing yourself all the time. 

You realize you don’t have to be constantly ticking something off the to-do list, doing things for other people or saying yes to events you don’t really want to attend.

Life doesn’t have to be at full throttle—in fact, that kind of pace is detrimental over the long term.

It’s okay to take a break. To say no to something. It’s okay to do something just for you. Something that’s simply for your enjoyment and peace of mind.

Being rather introverted, I need more time to myself than most people. I’ve learned to give myself the time and space over the years, but it didn’t come without trials, errors and some breakdowns. It’s been a learning process of knowing myself and balancing commitments. 

Taking time just for yourself gives you some space in a society of systems and products speeding along at a pace designed to rush, distract and numb you. 

2) I feel love for myself

I didn’t like many parts of myself in the past. I wished my hair was less frizzy and more like the stereotypical “Asian” hair, that certain parts of my body were different and my introverted personality was more extroverted. If only certain things would be different, I thought my life would be so much better.

It turns out, this is a losing mentality that will simply continue even if you get what you want. You’ll just find yet another thing you wish were different, and it’s a never-ending cycle.

I feel love and compassion for my current and past self in ways I never did in prior years.

Showing my current self more love and compassion includes giving myself a break when I’m tired. It involves more positive self-talk. Compassion for my past self includes letting go of any “shoulda-coulda-wouldas” and knowing I did the best I knew how during that time. I still have bad days, but there are far fewer of them now than in past years.

When you start prioritizing yourself, you realize you’re loveable and worth it just as you are. You don’t need to have anything else to be authentically and beautifully you. 

3) My self-confidence has improved

My confidence has slowly improved over the years with self-care.

I’m now able to accept compliments with a simple thank you instead of feeling unworthy or embarrassed. I readily take a seat at the table instead of hanging back and not wanting to take up space. Instead of worrying about being an inconvenience to others, I now more directly ask for what I want. I’m way better at saying no or suggesting alternatives when someone wants me to do something I prefer not to do. I’m still working on fully embracing my identity in certain areas, and if you’re constantly growing, there will always be an element of that. But the key is, growing your confidence as you go instead of remaining at a standstill or shrinking.

As your self-confidence improves, you’ll realize everyone else is primarily concerned with his or her own business.

Therefore, you should go after what you want and how you want to live your life with confidence. Greater confidence has really freed up my life in a lot of ways. It definitely didn’t come overnight. Rather, it was slowly practiced, intentionally built, and reinforced with self-care over the years.

4) I’m kinder to others

When you’re kinder to yourself, it tends to translate to greater kindness and understanding for others.

Instead of automatically taking a defensive stance when a disagreement comes up, you’re more likely to consider other viewpoints. When I was at my most unhealthy state, I wasn’t a very pleasant person to be around. I was overwhelmed, easily stressed, reactive and didn’t give people as much of a benefit of the doubt. 

Having a healthy level of self-love and confidence enables you to be more of a positive influence in the world.

When you’re prioritizing self-care for yourself, it’s easier to remember that everyone is struggling with their own problems and challenges. 

Like with everything on this list, it’s not something that’s once and done. I’ve noticed when I feel stressed, overwhelmed or anxious, my patience tends to be short-circuited. It’s something I need to always keep a watch on and have loved ones keep me accountable. 

5) I know my worth

I don’t feel the need to prove myself as much anymore. You realize that there are people who will resonate with and like you, and people who won’t. And either one is just fine. 

You won’t take offense if someone doesn’t follow you on social media. At the same time, you don’t need to follow them on social media either. I’ve personally found myself using social media less and less these days, as it’s definitely not a positive influence on my self-worth and general well-being.

If someone doesn’t reciprocate or seem to have much interest in getting to know you, you don’t need to invest time in building a relationship either. Instead of feeling upset by whatever happens, you’ll simply observe without judgment, calmly consider how you want to proceed and take action. 

Knowing your worth helps you take more of the laissez-faire approach to life.

You know that whatever happens, happens and you’ll make the best decision for you accordingly.

This is also something that doesn’t happen overnight. I still sometimes find myself worrying about what someone thinks of me, whether or not they’ll like me or if they misinterpreted something I did or said. But overall, this tendency has significantly dwindled since I’ve prioritized self-care. 

There will always be different situations that are challenging, and these are our growth opportunities. But when you prioritize self-care, you’ll likely find you’re better able to manage those situations than before—with greater confidence and ease. I’ve found self-care to be the biggest contributor to being happier and an ever-evolving best version of myself.

Balancing The Real Game And Game-Changers

March 23, 2019 By Uncoveries

Balancing Real Game and Game-Changers

There haven’t been too many exciting, new updates over the past couple years. And that’s partially by design—especially when it comes to playing the real game.Continue Reading

Why Dreams Stay Dreams

March 8, 2019 By Uncoveries

Why Dreams Stay Dreams

There’s one reason why dreams stay dreams for many of us.

And it’s not because of fear.

I used to think it was fear. If you had asked me five years ago, that’s what I would have answered.Continue Reading

On Full-time vs. Working For Yourself

October 1, 2018 By Uncoveries

Fulltime vs working for yourself

This year has been a reminder that working for yourself is both wonderful and incredibly challenging at the same time. The comparison between full-time vs working for yourself isn’t what some people make it out to be.

Simply put, there are pros and cons for each. It’s why I went back full-time a couple years ago and was happy to do so at the time. I’ve said before, embarking on an entrepreneurial venture isn’t for everyone; it’s a choice with its fair share of ups and downs. And it’s why either my husband or I may choose to go back into a full-time role at some point in the future.Continue Reading

My Answer To Your Million-Dollar Question

May 29, 2018 By Uncoveries

Million-Dollar Question

It’s an interesting shift when people see that what you’ve spent years building up to is beginning to pay off. They start asking about it, and then ultimately ask for your answer to the million-dollar question.

My husband and I have spent the past several months in Arizona and are now back in Minneapolis. As a few friends have put it, we are basically young “snow birds,” except as I point out every time, we are not “retired” and very much still need to work to make money. We’ve managed to make enough to spend the mild winter in Arizona and the summer in beautiful, green Minnesota this year.

The questions are generally around “So what do you guys actually do?” to “Is it really for real?” and “So, how do you make enough money?” They may not ask in those exact words, but that’s really what they’re asking. As if these questions are something that can be covered in casual, passing conversation.Continue Reading

7 Ways To Strengthen Mental Fitness

April 27, 2018 By Uncoveries

mental fitness

From reflecting on past years of new beginnings, endings, adventures, challenges and leaps—and experiencing a range of the good and bad—it’s struck me just how important a healthy level of mental fitness is.

What I mean by mental fitness is a combination of resiliency, determination and belief in one’s ability to figure out life’s challenges.

Just like physical fitness, mental fitness is at its best when it’s exercised, developed and strengthened.Continue Reading

7 Reasons To Take A Sabbatical

February 27, 2018 By Uncoveries

7 Reasons To Take A Sabbatical

To take a sabbatical or not to take a sabbatical—that is the question.

Taking a sabbatical may seem like a scary idea, one full of emptiness and the unknown. It can feel like a precarious venture, as most sabbaticals are periods of time without much inflow of income, stability and the other niceties that come with a full-time job and the regular day-to-day.

Yet the idea of a sabbatical is also exciting. It sparks dreams of exploration, adventure, and leaving the old behind. There’s a sense of intrigue that simply won’t shake itself, despite your best efforts to remain grounded.

Having taken a sabbatical myself, I know how scary it can be. I also know from retrospect that I’d absolutely recommend it.

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. – Henry David Thoreau

Continue Reading

The Time It Takes to Trust In Your Dreams

January 24, 2018 By Uncoveries

Trust In Your Dreams

The time it takes to trust in your dreams can take awhile. At least that was the case for me.

Especially when you’re the type of person who wants to know what to expect; someone who’s a planner and aspiring foreseer like me.Continue Reading

Why Minimalism Is Key To Personal Growth

December 10, 2017 By Uncoveries

Why Minimalism Is Key To Personal Growth

It’s little wonder why minimalism is a growing trend.

It’s becoming more and more necessary to be a minimalist these days.

The convenience of our mobile and intelligent personal assistant devices is only fueling the momentum. With a simple thumb press, swipe or voice command, we can buy and do just about everything. There are more moments than ever for us to be influenced by marketing, peer and societal pressures with the constant presence of these powerful devices.Continue Reading

The Importance Of Taking Two Steps Back

October 1, 2017 By Uncoveries

taking two steps back

There’s usually something that has the tendency to lead us astray over and over again. The pattern differs for each person and recurs under many circumstances, fooling us into thinking that this time was a unique event rather than part of a recurring theme.

Often referred to as an Achilles heel, it’s a characteristic or preference that plays out in a similar way time and time again—resulting in us taking two steps back.Continue Reading

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Hi there, I’m Amy.


We are all here to uncover our true being and live out our aligned purpose. I share learnings here to teach and show the Uncoveries process.

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  • The Personal Journey Starts With Self-Care
  • Balancing The Real Game And Game-Changers
  • Why Dreams Stay Dreams
  • On Full-time vs. Working For Yourself
  • My Answer To Your Million-Dollar Question

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