Are You Living by Your Own Standards… or Your Excuses?
I've been reflecting a lot lately.
Next year marks 20 years since I started my private practice. As I look back, I'm incredibly grateful for the thousands of people who've trusted me to be part of their healing journey. I've worked in health food stores, wellness clinics, taught at the Naturopathic College, supervised student clinics and continued learning every chance I've had.
But recently I realised something.
None of those qualifications really matter if I'm not living what I teach.
That doesn't mean I have to be perfect. Far from it. It simply means I want to live with integrity. If I encourage my clients to meditate, I want to be meditating. If I recommend daily movement, I want to be moving my body. If I talk about calming the nervous system, I want to be practising that too.
Over the past few months I've been quietly raising my own standards. I'm back to drinking my lemon water every morning, dry skin brushing before my shower, taking my herbs, moving my body every day and making meditation a non-negotiable. Not because someone told me I should, but because I genuinely feel better when I do.
After nearly 20 years of practice, I've realised that knowledge isn't usually what holds us back. Most of us already know the basics of what supports good health. We know we need to slow down occasionally, nourish ourselves, sleep well, breathe more deeply and spend time in nature.
The hard part isn't knowing.
The hard part is choosing ourselves consistently.
Life gets busy. We tell ourselves we'll start next week, after the holidays, when work settles down, when the kids are older, or when we have more energy. Before we know it, those reasons become habits, and those habits quietly shape our lives.
One of the things I love most about my work is watching people realise that they aren't actually stuck. Often the biggest thing standing between where they are and where they want to be isn't their circumstances—it's an old belief, a fear, or a story they've been carrying for years.
Healing isn't about becoming someone different.
It's about peeling back the layers of fear, self-doubt and conditioning until you reconnect with the person you've always been underneath it all.
That's why I've realised I'm becoming less interested in quick fixes. Of course I love seeing someone's digestion improve, their pain reduce or their sleep return, but what really lights me up is seeing someone begin to trust themselves again. Watching them let go of an old belief, understand and alchemise a trauma, see themselves differently or leave a session feeling lighter than when they arrived… that's the transformation I'm passionate about.
I honestly believe we're living in a time that's inviting all of us to evolve. Not through pressure or perfection, but by becoming more conscious of the choices we make every day. Every small decision is a vote for the person we're becoming.
So I'd love to ask you a question.
Are you living by your own highest standards, or are you living by your excuses?
Please don't hear that as judgement. This isn't about guilt. It's something I've been asking myself too.
What's one thing you've been putting off that you already know would help you feel healthier, calmer or happier?
Maybe it's going for a walk.
Maybe it's making time to meditate.
Maybe it's finally booking the appointment you've been thinking about for months.
Whatever it is, don't wait for the perfect time. Start where you are.
If you're ready to make yourself a priority, I'd love to support you. Whether it's through a weekly meditation, a Sound Bowl & Energy Healing session, my free 7-Day Meditation Challenge, an astrology course or a one-on-one transformation journey, there are lots of ways we can work together.
You don't have to do it all at once.
You just have to take the first step.
I'd be honoured to walk beside you.
With love,
Sheryl Hockey