I’m so excited to share Aly on the blog today. What I love about this space is we get to share friends we meet from all over & share the journey we’re on.
Aly Tracy is a wife and a mama (to Avery - 1), and she and her family are full-time RVers. They are currently stationary near Houston, Texas and hope to begin full-time travel just as soon as they can get their debt paid off. Aly has recently become a life coach and mentor after years of informally coaching friends, family, and colleagues. She’s most passionate about working with people who feel “stuck” in one or more areas of their lives.
Can I be honest from the get-go here?
Talking about myself is hard.
When Colleen reached out and asked if I could share some about the recent journey the Lord has put me on with my new career path, I felt honored, but then I quickly felt panic. What in the actual heck am I going to say?
After a bit of brainstorming and thinking it over (plus a little more panic) I realized I needed to talk about this exact thing... how I feel about myself... how we feel about ourselves.
Why is it so hard to share about myself? Am I worried I’ll sound like I LIKE to talk about myself? Well, yeah. But also, who would want to read a story about ME? I’m nothing special. Also, I’m probably not too great of a writer... so even if they want to read, they’ll probably get a few paragraphs down and be over it. What if they think I think I’m an expert on all of this? Dang it. I should’ve said no to this whole thing. I should’ve waited until I had something really good to say.
I know I’m not the only one with inner dialogue like this. I know I’m not the only one who creates her own roadblocks, worries about what other people think, and “shoulds” on herself way too much.
And I know I’m not the only one who forgets her worth comes from God alone.
We
all have this inner struggle... we like ourselves, but only sometimes, or we like some parts of ourselves but not others. And for most of us, this struggle comes from thinking we have to look, think, believe, talk, act, etc a certain way to be liked and loved. It’s our human nature to desire acceptance. We were created for relationship. But relationship shouldn’t come at the cost of tearing ourselves down.
I realized not too long ago that so much of the person I had “grown up” to be was built on expectations of others, societal pressures, false beliefs, shoulds, and pure comfort. No wonder it was hard to love that person! That person wasn’t really me.
So, I decided it was time to get to know Aly... no holding back. I was going to love me for me. And what I found is a much freer, more joyful and alive Aly. When I let go of the shoulds, when I stopped worrying so much about what people might think, when I began to embrace that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, that I am unique and the world needs me to show up as me (that’s why I’m here!!); when I began lifting up gratitude for being the exact person I am here and now, my whole life began to change.
I’m not kidding...
We literally sold our whole house worth of stuff and moved into an RV.
I left the company I had been with for 4 years.
I started writing a book.
I began pursuing a brand new career.
I began really dreaming for the first time in my adult life.
When we get in tune with who we really are, and ultimately, who God is calling us to be, crazy (and also totally amazing) things happen.
Now obviously, I still struggle with inner dialogue issues (aka the catalyst for writing this blog post). I probably always will. The thing about it is: I’m more aware now. I know to listen for the voice of truth over all the noise. I know my default mode is worry. But I’m working on it. I’m working on being a better version of me (the real me) every day. And that’s what I encourage each of you to do, too.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself as you work to get to know you better:
Who do I truly want to be?
What things matter most to me?
What is holding unnecessary space in my life because I don’t really care about it?
What kinds of things make me come alive?
How can I do more/enjoy more of those things?
What kinds of things do I believe make a person brave? Successful? Worthy?
Am I truly open to God’s work in my life?
Oh, one last thing!
Regardless of your answers to these questions, regardless of your past, your struggles, regardless of anything you’ve ever done “wrong” or things people didn’t approve of, know that you are so loved right here, right now. Yes, by me and the Cashios (aren’t they the sweetest?), but also by the God of the Universe. And He has declared you’re already enough just as you are. Don’t forget He has you here for a reason. The world needs you to show up and be YOU ️
Thanks so much to the Cashios for allowing me to share my heart and a chapter of my journey with all of you. I’m honored, humbled, and crazy-grateful.
Blessings & Love,
Aly
Connect with her via Instagram: @aly.tracy
