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Carmen - Adventures + Personal Growth

@herewithrae

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* Get outside. Get lost. Come home to yourself🌈
* making personal growth a little less serious 😁
* for a life that actually feels like yours.

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Somewhere between the earth and the clouds..

#bivacco #hikingadventures #outdoor #mountaingirls #dolomites by @herewithrae

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a year ago

Some of the best life lessons don't come from books. They come from the trails we walk.

1. You don't have to rush
Hiking uphill taught me that rushing only leaves me exhausted. Life feels the same. I don't need to be ahead of anyone else. I just need to move at a pace that feels right for me.

2. Stop and check your direction
On the trail, I sometimes need to stop and check my direction. Life is no different. Every now and then, I need to ask myself: Am I building the life I want, or just living up to everyone else's expectations?

3. Rest is part of the journey
On a long hike, I rest before I have nothing left to give. Yet in everyday life, I often feel like I need to earn my rest. The truth is, I don't have to run on empty to prove I'm trying. Sometimes, slowing down is what helps me keep going.

4. You can't control everything
The weather can change no matter how well I plan a hike. Life is the same. I can't control every setback or disappointment, but I can choose how I respond. Sometimes, the best thing I can do is adjust my plans and keep going.

5. It's the journey, not the destination
I get so caught up thinking about what's next that I sometimes forget to appreciate what I already have. Hiking reminds me that life isn't just about reaching the summit. It's about noticing the little things along the way and being grateful for where I am, even as I keep moving forward.

Life is a little like hiking. You don't always need to move faster, have everything figured out, or reach the next milestone.

Sometimes, you just need to slow down, trust the process, and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Which of these lessons or reminders do you need the most in your life right now? 🌿

#lifelesson #remindertoself # by @herewithrae

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7 days ago

Being good with your emotions is harder than it looks.

For anyone trying to understand themselves better, emotional intelligence starts with one thing:

slowing down long enough to notice what’s actually happening inside you.

That’s where better reactions, better choices, and better relationships begin.

Want to become emotionally badass? Follow along.

#emotionalwellbeing #personalgrowth by @herewithrae

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9 days ago

I was thinking about this the other day, and honestly, I think a lot of us need the reminder.

How often do we make ourselves smaller without even realizing it?

We hold back what we really want to say.
We downplay something we’re proud of.
We hesitate to ask for what we need.
We worry about being too loud, too ambitious, too opinionated, too much.

I know I’ve done it.

And I’m learning that taking up space doesn’t mean you’re taking something away from someone else.

You’re allowed to have big dreams.
You’re allowed to be proud of yourself.
You’re allowed to change your mind, speak up, want more, and let people see you trying.

You don’t have to make yourself smaller just to make everyone around you comfortable.

So if you’ve been holding yourself back lately, maybe this is your little reminder to stop.

Not because you need to become someone bigger.

Just because you’re already allowed to be fully yourself.

And if you needed to hear this today, tell me:

**Where in your life are you ready to take up a little more space?** 🤍

#mountaingirls #bettereveryday by @herewithrae

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9 days ago

For a long time, I thought I needed to have it all figured out before I could move forward.

I tried to be who everyone needed me to be. I second-guessed myself. I stayed in places that no longer felt like me because I was scared of what would happen if I chose something different.

There were seasons when I felt stuck, lost, and honestly unsure of who I was becoming.

But I kept going.

And slowly, I started making different choices.

I stopped waiting until I felt ready.
I stopped shrinking myself to make other people comfortable.
I stopped looking outside of myself for permission to want more.

I started choosing myself — not all at once, but one small decision at a time.

And somewhere along the way, I realized that becoming yourself isn't one big transformation. It's a collection of tiny moments where you choose to listen to your own voice.

I'm still becoming. I don't have everything figured out.

But I trust myself more now.
And I’m proud of the woman I’m becoming.

So if you're in that messy middle right now, this is your reminder:

You don't need to have it all figured out.
You don't need to feel ready.
You just need to take the next step.

Start choosing yourself. 🤍

#lifechoices #chooseyourself #storytellingcontentchallenge by @herewithrae

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11 days ago

I’ve learned that when I start my day with a grateful heart, everything feels a little lighter. Gratitude shifts my energy, changes my perspective, and reminds me to focus on the beauty in what I already have rather than what I lack. Sometimes, changing my day begins with simply changing my mindset. 🤍✨

#gratitude #startthedaypositive by @herewithrae

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13 days ago

Being yourself sounds easy. It isn’t.
Turns out, becoming yourself takes courage.

Because somewhere along the way, you realise how much of you was shaped by expectations, habits, and the desire to belong.

I’m still learning, but these are a few things that have helped me reconnect with myself:

• Listen more than you react.
• Create moments of silence so you can hear your own voice.
• Notice what gives you energy and what quietly drains you.
• Stop treating yourself like a project that needs fixing.
• Do more of what feels true, not just what looks right.

Knowing yourself isn’t always about becoming someone new.

Sometimes, it’s about remembering who you were before you learned who to be for everyone else.

I’m still figuring it out, but I’m learning that every conscious choice brings me a little closer to who I truly am.

Follow for more little reminders to come back to yourself.

#cominghome #lifechoices #reminders by @herewithrae

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14 days ago

The situation didn’t change. My perspective did.

There was a stretch where I kept telling myself I wasn’t good enough, not ready, and too far behind.
What I actually needed wasn’t more proof.

I needed to stop treating one hard season like a final verdict.

If you’ve been stuck in limited perspective, this is your reminder that growth can look messy, delayed, and still be real.

Same situation.
Different lens.
Different future.

Save this for the day you need a new lens.

#perspective #lifechoices by @herewithrae

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15 days ago

A younger me thought success had to look impressive.

I thought it meant chasing what looked good.
What got praise.
What proved I was doing enough.

But the older I get, the more success feels like peace, freedom, and being able to enjoy the life I’m building.

For anyone still measuring their life by someone else’s standard, maybe this is your reminder that you’re allowed to want something different.

Save this for the day you need the reminder.

#successjourney #meaningfullife by @herewithrae

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19 days ago

You don’t have to choose between becoming and belonging.

That’s the thing I wish someone had told me sooner when I was younger.

Growth is rarely about picking a side.
It’s about learning how to hold your softness and your strength.

Your peace and your ambition.

Your healing and your direction.

That’s what the wiser version of me kept coming back to.

Comment “both” if this is where you are.

#growingup #lifechoices #adventure #mountainlife #storytellingcontentchallenge by @herewithrae

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22 days ago

We’re not promised more time.

But why do we keep pushing off the calls, the check-ins, the slow mornings, the I love yous.

If you’ve been carrying too much and chasing too hard, this is the reminder to come back to what’s here.

Be present.
Love more.
Notice the life you’re actually living.

Save this for the days you need the reminder.

#reminder #livelife #bepresentnow by @herewithrae

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a month ago

We keep telling ourselves, “someday.”

Someday I’ll take the trip.
Someday I’ll slow down.
Someday I’ll go somewhere that makes me feel alive again.

And then you find yourself standing on a mountain, breathing in the cold, crisp air, feeling the wind on your face, with nothing but endless peaks.

Just you, the mountains, and the quiet realization that this is what being alive feels like.

Don’t keep saving your life for someday.

Go find your mountain. 🏔️🤍

What’s the place you’ve been saying “someday” to? 👇

#findyouradventure #mountainview by @herewithrae

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a month ago