This may seem like an odd subject, but it’s truly something I had to work on this past year. I was not accustomed to being happy. And not just any kind of happiness, but the happiness that comes from fulfilment from within. I didn’t know that was a thing. As you know, I’ve battled several mental illnesses over the years, and it’s felt exactly like that. Like there was a war that I had no say in going on inside my mind and body for years. When I looked at happy people, I assumed they were like me. Just smiling to hide the immense pain they felt on a nearly 24-hour constant loop. Even ...
therapy
Finding Closure: What I Learned From Loving an Avoidant Man
It’s been exactly a year since I began my healing journey. It's been a long ride with lots of twists, turns, and growth, and guess what? I am excited to introduce you to the final pages of the Traumatic Breakup chapter of my story! I can write this from a place of forgiveness and acceptance because I was able to truly move on. The traumatic aspect of the breakup At the end of our relationship, I blamed myself. I have an incredibly big heart, and I gave every ounce of love, respect, and kindness I had to my ex. If you’d read my journals through those three years, even if I was mad at him, ...
The best affirmation for this week
It is already Sunday! You know what that means. Affirmations and journal prompts. Let’s get started. My last affirmation was “I am in charge of how I feel; today, I am choosing to trust”. It was the perfect affirmation for the time. Easing into trusting again is like easing into a bath that is a few degrees too hot. I had to get in one inch at a time. But letting myself trust my own judgment, as well as others that have come into my life recently, has been so rewarding. I feel more open and loving toward everyone in my life now, and less hesitant to speak my mind or make a choice. It’s so ...
How I Use Journal Prompts for Self-Care
It’s no secret that I love to write! This blog wouldn’t exist if writing was not one of my passions. When I first discovered journaling, I was in elementary school. I had a little diary from Wal-Mart that had a little lock and two keys. It was a place to put and protect my ideas, secrets and dreams. I absolutely loved it! I treasured it, just as I treasure all the books that come my way. There’s something about getting a new journal that makes me happy in a way nothing else does. It’s the way the paper smells as I flip the pages, the feeling of my pen gliding along the lines that get me, ...
The Most Important Relationship
Which relationship is the most important relationship in your life? If you answered with your significant other or parents and siblings or best friend... not quite. Yes, those are all important relationships, but who is most important? You! I've struggled with that concept for years. Learning about codependency and the fact that I've been plagued with it my entire life was more than eye-opening. Understanding that I have issues with codependency unlocked an opportunity to make some major changes. What is codependency? It's marked by: low self-esteempeople-pleasingpoor ...
Be brave enough to be grateful
I had an interesting thought yesterday that seemed worth writing about today. I know I've been through a lot of hard things. Even this year has been marked by my grandmother passing away, hospitalizations, and disappointments galore. Last year was a complete doozy, as well. But there were so many good moments in between. I got to thinking... my life has been truly lived. Much like how my favorite pair of Chuck Taylors are ripped, faded, and glued together in random places... those shoes have been everywhere with me. They've been to the Giza pyramids and the Eiffel Tower. I treasure those ...
