You Are Not Alone

 

Today was a much better day! I think we all have the ups and downs in life, and sometimes it is just ok to let them be. For years I fought against my feelings, suppressing them, criticizing them, judging them, which led me to anxiety and depression. The more I continued to fight against it and not really take the time to understand myself or allow myself to feel, I started to experience physical symptoms, pains, aches, stomach issues, skin issues, numbness, and tingling in my extremities. You see, if you do not listen to your inner voice,  that voice gets louder and louder, and if you still do not listen, life has a way to put you in situations where you have no choice but to listen. Why do some of us have to wait until that happens?  If I can help one person realize that making adjustments as soon as something feels off and not letting them get to extremes, I will consider myself very blessed. I had to learn the hard way; no one told me these things. 

I suppose most people do not know better; no one really explains those things to us. We think we are wrong or wrong with us physically or mentally, and we seek medical help. Most doctors do not understand or treat the root of the problem and offer relief that masks the feelings even further, sometimes creating a bigger down spiral problem. I am not against medication when necessary, or there is a clinical imbalance, but in my own experience and opinion, that was not the answer for me. I knew there was a better way; I knew there was something deeper I needed to find in my heart. Why am I writing about this?  This was not necessarily the plan, but I truly believe it is a very relevant topic. Especially now during mental health awareness month. So many people feeling lost, confused, and claustrophobic after COVID.

I started this blog to try and understand my feelings and allow myself a space to express my thoughts and document my blessings.  Sometimes it is difficult to see what is in front of you and count your blessings. Even worse, and what I was going through, I knew I had everything to be happy, and I was just not feeling it, making myself feel worse and like I was taking things for granted. So I set out to blog and document the little things in life, to stop and notice and take joy in life's simple pleasures. 

As I sought and searched, I came across information about mindset, spirituality and I started studying both clinical and spiritual aspects that affect the mind. I became fascinated with how they correlate. I grew up in a religious environment, and many of the mindset and spiritual principles outside the church were highly frowned upon. I started finding scriptures about the renewal of the mind and reading about neuroscience, and it all came together for me. It made so much sense, and I started building my mindset muscle and finding a closer relationship to my higher power.  FASCINATING, to say the least, to me.  Then one day, everything came together, and I started going to vision board events but soon realized that they often do not explain why you are doing this or how it works. The concept poured to me like a divine download, and I created Vision Board 101 for Ladypreneurs. I took a certification course through Udemy, and I got certified as a therapeutic art life coach, which includes creating and facilitating the creation of vision boards among other forms of art to help clients heal, reduce stress, and use positive affirmations and imagery to visualize positive changes in their lives. Vision boards are a powerful tool to help create the vision of our lives, hopes, and dreams and to set specific goals. I have learned through this process that the timing does not have to be perfect, that I do not have to be perfect, I only have to be one step ahead of someone that is going through what I went through, and I can share my experience and knowledge to help them along the way.  Just like this blog, perhaps my course is not perfect yet, but I can start making progress and learning as I go and share my experiences even in the messy middle. We do not all "arrive" the same way.

Part of my course offers different types of vision and/or inspiration boards, and I find that sometimes an inspiration board is a great step to get your creative juices flowing; before diving into deeper visions for your future, you must be in a positive state of mind, and an inspiration board is less intimidating and more fun to make.  You just pick images and messages that inspire you, spark joy and motivate you, and you arrange them more in a free-flow style. This board is to raise your vibration and put you in a good mood when you see it. One of the main principles of creating these boards is making sure that you are open and in a good state of mind when you create them.  You can see the steps on this blog where I shared what I have learned about vision boards.  I later refined my thoughts with the course I created, and I plan on writing an ebook about it. 

Here is my inspiration board - I hope it inspires you to create your own. What I wanted to focus on with this board is mainly balance. I want to stop regretting the years I feel I "lost" trying to find answers. I know now it was meant to be, but I also want to reverse and restore the perceived damage to my body, mind, and spirit. I trust that God can restore the years I felt lost and make my latter days much better than my former years. I also wanted to remind myself that I can make a difference and influence women positively. I want to remind myself that I am constantly guided and protected and that the desires of my heart are my birthright because God put them there. All I have to do is turn the light to them and allow the path to be lit for me to follow with intention and faith.