I want to share something tender with you today—something raw, real, and deeply personal.
Not long ago, I was visiting my dear friend Annie, the vibrant force behind Stickerlishious, a company that radiates joy, sass, soul, and positivity through playful and irreverent designs. Annie is her brand—bold, warm, inspirational—and her business reflects that.
While in her office, one of her designs stopped me in my tracks. I’ve seen it countless times before, but that day? It landed like a thunderclap to the heart.
“Give yourself a F-ing break.”
Simple. Direct. A little cheeky. And devastatingly true.
As a coach, I see this all the time—the impossibly high standards, the brutal inner monologues, the never-ending to-do lists that run laps around what’s humanly possible. I support women in unraveling these patterns, softening the shame, and rewriting the scripts that say, “You’re not enough.”
But that day in Annie’s office… I didn’t see it in a client.
I saw it in me.
There I was, spiraling in that old, familiar voice from another lifetime—the one that whispers cruelties when you’re tired, raw, or vulnerable. She told me I wasn’t good enough. That I didn’t deserve the joy I’ve built. That I was alone. It hit me hard and heavy—a dizzying, soul-crushing fog.
And the truth is, this has been a theme lately. Not just in my own heart, but in the hearts of so many women I work with.
Beautiful, brilliant, soulful women who are unbelievably hard on themselves.
Women who would never speak to a loved one the way they speak to themselves.
Women who offer grace to everyone but themselves.
Why?
Because the conditioning is deep.
The reasons are real and many—culture, religion, family systems, academic expectations, trauma, biology. The list is long. And the impact is real.
When I hear a client beat herself up, my heart breaks. Truly. It’s painful to witness someone I care for believe such cruel, false things about herself.
And yet… I do it, too.
So today, I’m not here to coach you.
I’m here to stand beside you.
As another woman doing the work.
As someone who also needs the reminder:
Give yourself a F-ing break.
You are allowed to rest.
You are allowed to be messy.
You are allowed to be enough exactly as you are.
Wherever you are today, however you’re feeling, I invite you to soften. Just a little.
You’re not broken. You’re not failing. You’re not behind.
You’re human. You’re lovable and valuable. And you’re doing the best you can.
And that? That’s enough.
With love and softness,
Xo Jill
Women’s Empowerment Coach | Guide | Human Being 💛