Mirror Mirror: Why Relationships are So Challenging.

My friend Zoe took this photo of me on Saturday, girls' night out -- which began at the Loren Hotel's newest restaurant Nido for beautiful tuna crudo, castelveltrano olives, and pistachios. A delicious octopus carpaccio with melted bone marrow, melt in your mouth duck breast with a gastrique and wilted radicchio, crispy skinned salmon with ginger and hen of the woods mushrooms and fried artichokes for dessert as per Brittany's (gluten free) request. Yossi opted out of most in favor of espresso martini's and Zoe post Ayahuasca (and avec nightshade allergy).  Allison sipped Chablis and tasted everything. Me too, except the dessert veggies. Suffice it to say, everyone has their own schtick, but that's what makes life, and relationships interesting. More below ... 

I came well equipped, as requested with double stick tape for some low neck dresses, and a sewing kit actually. I opted out of the handy helping and allowed one of the other girls to sew up Brittany post eating. After dinner we found live music at High Noon -- fabulous live music actually, before what we coined "non-judgmentally" at an "amateur hour" rave on the East Side. While we weren't properly neon costumed, we had a really good time. I've shared at length that "girlfriends" didn't always make sense to me, growing up with three brothers and not always trusting, and as I've grown into me, my relationships have reflected externally. Girls night out happened 3x last week -- which felt like a lot and similarly, it was really just perfectly aligned. 

So - revisitng this photo taken in High Noon's restroom, while Austin's music scene blasted outside got my thinking. 
Learning to love your reflection isn’t “easy,” because its actually not about the internal, its about what lives underneath … 
We live in a HOUSE of MIRRORS, a reflective realm, literally, We’re all just energies, costumed in different meat 🥩 suits and masks 🎭 . The energy we carry is reflective and reflected in everything around us. Which is what makes relationships (all of them!) really challenging!! 💔 ♥️ ❤️‍🩹, because they highlight what lies in us that still needs healing! 
THE TRIGGER IS THE TEACHER.
It's been really invigorating to watch my relationships shift substantially as I've healed my relationship with me, 
which is why I don't care if someone is picky, or fussy, or judgmental or "extra," ... because it's not about me, unless I'm triggered, and that's where I lean in and learn more about me. 
…
And so I dare you --  to face your fears, track your patterns, see what unconscious shadow energy you’re holding — the hidden stuff underneath preventing you from moving forward, inhibiting you from just being. — WHICH is often easier to see in others, than ourselves, so PRO TIP: notice what + whom you’re triggered by, avoidant of and use it as a MIRROR into what darkness is actually within you. Our internal world is reflected externally. So, learn you to love you — all of you, even the dark, shadowy stuff you hide. Everything You Need is Inside. xx 💋 ♥️ 🪞
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On my most recent solo episode of LIVYOUNG, I discuss my journey or rather a first date back in the game post 6 month hiatus from all things dating ...time spent focused on fully committing to me. 

In this episode I go in depth into: 
dating, breakups, celibacy, sex, commitment, trust and more. 
its juicy. 

LISTEN via @spotify.

Stay tuned for an exciting announcement for a free journaling / meditation challenge. 
If you are interested in stepping onto the path of healing,
 Reply to this email. Find me on Instagram @livyoung. 
Love always, Olivia