Time for a Winter Pep Talk

A Winter Pep Talk: Stepping Into Your Power

I think it may be time for a little winter pep talk.

The holidays are behind us. January has come and gone. And now winter truly settles in across the Northern Hemisphere. For many people, this is the hardest stretch—the shorter days, the quiet after all the planning and celebration. Somewhere in February, a moment arrives when you look around and wonder: What is it that I am supposed to DO?

This month’s card is Stepping Into Power, and its message is simple and bold:You are strong beyond measure.

I once met Don Reinhoudt, who won the World’s Strongest Man Competition in 1979. By the time I met him, he was out of the Strongest-Man business—just a kind, soft-spoken fellow. I sometimes wonder what it must feel like to be known, at one point in your life, as the strongest man in the world… and then later to find yourself frustrated by a stubborn suitcase or a well-vacuum-sealed jar.

We all have those moments—times of great strength and times of perceived weakness.

The strength this card speaks of isn’t about lifting heavy objects or winning competitions. It’s internal strength: the quiet power that doesn’t require an audience. And just like physical strength, it needs to be exercised in order to grow. When we practice it, it becomes strong and reliable that we can reach for when we need it most.

So—what does it mean to you to be strong?

Did an answer come to mind? Write it down. Keep it somewhere safe. (Maybe even in a little bag in the freezer.)

Consider the month of February an invitation to step into—and add to—your personal power by setting yourself a strength workout plan. Your focus circuits  might include qualities like:

• Resilience

• Emotional awareness

• Patience

• Self-compassion

• Emotional Regulation

• Creativity or Curiosity

• Critical Thinking

• Integrity

• Active Listening

• Adaptability

• Confidence

You might even choose to practice strengths like Asking for Help or Choosing Rest when it’s needed.

Practice your strengths daily.  Be strong in small, tangible ways. I love a list, so grab a piece of paper and write down the strengths that you are focusing on.  Make a little notation on when it was practiced, and the circumstances you were in at the time. 

When you practice them, your strengths will be one of the first things you reach for in times of stress. 

Support this practice by editing your space. Remove items from your home that remind you of times you felt weak or discouraged. Move into easier view the things that remind you of your strengths. Make actual space for who you are becoming.

I love little notes, and I’m not above hiding them for myself to find later. Sometimes I tuck a note into a coat pocket when I put it away for the summer. I also leave notes on my mirror or in a favorite cookbook—gentle reminders that say, You can do hard things, or simply, Hey, I love you.

Consider writing a note to your future self—reminding future you of your personal power. Leave it somewhere you’ll find it tomorrow, next week, or even next year. Trust that your power is one of a kind—and that only you know how to wield it in the way that’s right for you.

Remember: February is a short month—so get after it.