About Me
My story...
At Love Those VIbes, we know that YOU are worthy of everything you desire and ready to step into more on your self love journey Self Love Adventure because journeys can be long and difficult but adventures are what bring color and vibrance to a journey with fun, unexpected surprises, plot twists and so much more!
So glad to meet you...
I am Grace Williams, creator of Love Those Vibes, and former survivor who chose to start thriving a few years into this Mama role.
From the youngest of 8 siblings with an uber religious upbringing to a young woman in a marriage full of physical, verbal and emotional abuse in my early 20’s, I always sought to love others. I was sure it was my purpose in life, but that desire was not whole because it lacked love for myself.
After several painful years, I took the steps to leave the abuse, stand on my own, and went through counseling to understand why I missed and, in some cases ignored, red flags. But, all the while, I never dove in to understand what I was lacking - self love.
In my early 30’s I thought I was free and healed and was living life happily. At 34, I met my husband who is one of the kindest, most considerate people I had ever met. Honestly, I did not feel worthy of someone like him showing interest in me, much less actually loving me. It felt amazing and terrifying all at once. Without looking back, I went for it, all the while not feeling that I was worthy.
Because I never understood how to love me, I put tons of pressure on him to provide that love and validate me with it. Then we had two kiddos right in a row, and they loved me too. This was freaking AMAZING!!! Then after our 2nd kiddo, I went through some post par tum challenges that were not officially diagnosed as PPD so I didn’t understand and assumed something was wrong with me. That just made me feel less worthy and I put more pressure on my husband to fill my cup and validate me.
Eventually the babies were growing toddlers and a job change that I made added financial challenges to our already full plate. I was a constant ball of stress. Imagine one of those rubberband balls that people spend time creating…now snap a rubberband on it…and it doesn’t bounce back, instead the whole thing sort of explodes and then crumbles. This was me. I found myself projecting onto my husband and kiddos and just didn’t understand why they didn’t “get it”, didn’t “appreciate me”.
From exercise programs, and diets to make myself “more presentable” and hopefully more loveable, to getting a good paying job where I thrived on the bonuses, not for the money but for the pat on the back that they brought…none of it fixed what was going on inside. I was in a place where I should have been happy but I just wasn’t content. Something was off.
I read blogs and books and listened to podcasts and the resounding theme was ME. What the actual F#@K…they were telling me I was the problem? I literally turned one podcast (Mom Is In Control, now called Emotionally Uncomfortable) off just a few minutes in because I was furious with the podcaster for blaming me. I was Living. My. Purpose. To. Love. Other. People. Already. I couldn’t be the problem!!
Eventually I stopped arguing with them and absorbed what I read, heard what I listened to and YES. I was creating it all by not tending to my own basic needs as a priority - self care, rest, alone time - by not loving myself. I was busying myself with loving others so much that I was stressing my husband and practically suffocating my kiddos.
It took years for me to even scratch the surface of understanding what I needed so desperately - seriously our kiddos are in middle school as I write this. Then, it took more time to figure out how to love myself. Then, it took more time to practice doing so. Then, it took time to dig into the funk that was left behind from unhealthy religious teaching, societal conditioning, and 7 years of abuse that all compounded.
But, I did not give up. I kept failing and falling, brushing myself off and trying again. Some might look at self love as a journey but I view it as an adventure because adventures include exploration, plot twists and unexpected changes in direction and even some challenges. This is exactly how the last several years have been…a self love adventure.
Now, I’m here to share the adventure with you through Love Those Vibes. You will get the chance to explore self love in simple, practical, magical, spiritual and even scientific ways. I will be here along the way because even though this adventure is very personal and special just for you, there may be times when you need reassurance that you are worth the time and treat for yourself. Or it may be one of those practical moments when you just need a sounding board. I got you!
I so appreciate your popping in on this adventure with me and look forward to watching you enjoy your own adventure as you dive in to loving you.
