Last night was Issa's time—her time to shine. We got 26 minutes to follow Issa through her self-care Sunday routine. And if you didn't catch all the subliminals that dropped Sunday night, no worries, we are here to save the day.
The solo journey
Let's start by recognizing that after five episodes, we finally got to see a day in the life of Issa. Think about the world you live in every single day. When do you take a moment for yourself? To just focus on the things you want to do and not consider anyone else's opinions or suggestions? That is what Issa did. She focused on HERSELF.
Right now, everyone is moving through an unfamiliar speed and pace: career, life, and family look different. And because of that, it's essential to make space for you.
Take a virtual class. Go for a walk. Journal. Read a book. Meditate. Cook a meal so delicious you want to slap ya mama, not really, but you get it.
If you don't pick up anything from last night's episode, pick up on the fact that Issa focused on self. She recognized something was off and decided it was time for her to put her needs above everyone else.
"There is always a sign" - George
Whoever decided to write in George's character for this episode was genius. His pop of humor, combined with his antics, was the perfect addition.
He told Issa on their journey down La Brea Avenue that there is always a sign—because there always is. We don't recognize signs while they are happening to us, but we do recall and reflect on them when we hit particular chapters in life.
Where are the signs in your life? Have you acknowledged them or pushed them away? What are you going to do with those signs? Is it beneficial or hurtful? Reflect on moments when you felt like something was off. Or when you had a hunch and turned the cheek.
Signs are everywhere. We have to be open and ready to receive them. And to do that, you need clear headspace. How do you do that? See point number one!
Brag on yourself a little bit
When was the last time you pumped yourself at work, in front of others? Not in your office with the door shut, or in the bathroom on your Instagram scroll break. Like, in front of other people? Your answer is either never or occasionally.
You should be your champion, your biggest cheerleader. When the crowd is dead, you should be screaming in the back. Don't wait for other people to recognize your worth. Tell them about your worth, humbly. Humblebrag.
Have you completed a project at work—two weeks before the deadline? Instead of turning in the deliverables and moving on to the next task, share HOW you did this at the next staff meeting. Talk about your strategy to simplify the process or how you maximize your researching efforts.
You are telling others that you completed something early, AND you are inviting them in on how you did it. THAT is how you humblebrag.
Throw age expectations away
We finally get to witness a mother/daughter relationship between Issy and Lila (Wendy Raquel Robinson). When Issa discovered her downward spiral, she picked up the phone to call Mom.
The biggest takeaway from this scene wasn't to rely on family when things get tough, it was to throw ALL of your age expectations out of the window.
"I'm not 12; I'm 30. When you were 30, you were married, had a house, and two kids," says Issa to her mother.
How many of US have said something similar to this? We say, by the age of XX, I was supposed to have blah, blah, blah and more blah. (insert black girl hand raise emoji).
We've got to clear our minds from attaching success from an age limit. Our parents and our parent's parents lived in a different world than us. Opportunities, access, and freedoms were not the same. So why are we still linking a previous experience from a different era to our current success? Drop it!
You can start your first business at any age. You can be 35+ and start your family. You can fail at 40. Success, happiness, and achievement are not connected to age. Separate the two. NOW!
How often do you seen an opportunity and walk away?
I love how Insecure intertwines episodes together, and how there is always a bigger story in each episode.
When Issa pulled up at Merkato, an Ethiopian restaurant, and saw Molly through the door, she had an opportunity. Walk in, order food, speak to Molly, or leave. There could be a third option of ordering her food and ignoring Molly, but we will pretend that that wasn't an option.
Issa chooses to leave. She had an opportunity to address the situation but decided to walk away instead.
Where are the opportunities that are right in front of you, and you decided to walk away? How did you feel after your decision? Satisfied? Still thinking about it?
Sometimes we have to walk away, to have time and space for thoughts and preparation. Just because you see the sign (see point number two) doesn't mean you always have to act. Getting a glimpse of something could be just what you need to figure out your next move.
Recognize when you need to pause before acting, even when it's screaming in your face.
All in all, self-care should be a top priority for you. If anything else, just take some time for yourself regularly. Your career, family, friends, and health will always thank you for it.