What is Soft Girl Era?

Part 2: Beyond a Trend, Embracing Shadow Work, and the Power of Owning our Story by Taking the Pen

Soft Girl Era is my ode to every former version of myself who felt the need to harden, who scuffed up her edges and built walls around her warmth in an effort to protect her beautifully fragile heart. For so much of my life, my feelings were painted as a burden. "Too sensitive." "Toughen up." "Why are you crying?"

The phrases that shaped my mindscape, planting seeds of self-doubt that grew into deep-seated beliefs. "Weak." "Alone." "Broken." Words I whispered to myself, convinced they were true. My heart still aches for her, but I’ve pulled her from the trenches of our past. And this book? It’s the map I used to reach her. But Soft Girl Era isn’t just my story, it’s a call to the Soft Girl in you.

Now, if the phrase “soft girl” conjures imagery of a pretty pink aesthetic dripping with glam, I don’t blame you. Summer 2024 and its bubblegum pop bangers still live rent free in my mind. But this dainty take on softness didn't resonate with me. In fact, it felt incredibly reductive of the inner work I’d done to connect with my own softness. This emotional contrast against the mainstream definition of ‘soft’ made me realize that softness is no passing trend. It’s an essence, a virtue, a way of living.

“Sifting through a lifetime of forgotten feelings, I envisioned myself willfully stepping into a portal of my nightmares. It was the darkest, heaviest, most atrocious place I’ve ever been.”

I didn’t know it at the time, but that deep healing journey had a trendy name too: Shadow Work. A fitting name, I’ll admit—no critiques on that one. Before I could even begin, the trailhead demanded I set down everything I was carrying. This wasn’t a journey forward; it was a deep dive into the past. It required an incredible commitment to my Soft Girl, her plea the only thing fueling my bravery to finally face what I’d long feared.

Reaching our Soft Girl and embodying her essence doesn't have to result in writing a book, but it does hand us the pen. It gives us the power to own our story and decide what deserves to make it into our future. If you find yourself ready to embark on your own journey inward, Soft Girl Era: Mindmaps to the Heart is ready and waiting for you.

Visit hippinessis.com to claim your copy.

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