It's been an incredibly eventful ride, and it's not over yet, not by a long shot! If you're wondering what I'm talking about, I'll tell you—ever heard of this little thing called life? Yep, I'm pretty sure that if you're reading this, you've got one! Welcome to the club!
If you're like me, you've probably been searching high and low for ways to make the journey less bumpy. Oh, if only it were up to us! Sometimes things occur in our lives that are beyond our control. Life gets messy; life gets complicated. It's how we sift through all the noise that matters. How are you doing with that?
I'll let you in on a bit of a secret. I've been struggling. As a mom, as a wife, and as an introvert, life can be brutal. The challenges we women face can sometimes seem insurmountable. Add a little sprinkle of life's unexpected chaos into the mix, and well, things can soon spiral out of control very quickly.
I won't lie to you. I had a fantastic childhood. I was blessed to have incredible parents who made parenting seem like a breeze. We grew up on an island, and despite life's usual challenges, we met each day with a smile and an insatiable appetite for life. Sometimes I fondly reminisce about those times and wish that life could be that way again, simple.
In the last few years, things have been anything but simple.
I've had some of my darkest days, and feelings of hopelessness and sadness blanketed my very existence.
I have had to deal with a family member's addiction, my teenage daughter's struggles with anxiety and depression, and my parents' death.
Somewhere along the way, I lost myself and my faith waivered. I felt defeated, and I honestly didn't know if things would get better. I didn't know if I could ever feel normal again. I was feeling the weight of other people's burdens on my shoulder.
Those burdens penetrated the fabric of my existence, they became a part of me, and little by little, I was becoming someone I didn't know, someone I didn't want to be.
It's when I decided to grab the bull by the horns and make ME a priority that I began to see a sliver of hope, a light at the end of the tunnel.
Despite my resolve, I felt selfish. How could I possibly think of me when there were more significant problems at large? I'll tell you why. It came to me as I lay defeated in bed one day.
I was unable to help myself and my family. I wasn't rising to the challenge, I was letting circumstances overcome me. I realized, at that moment, that if I didn't take care of ME, I couldn't take care of anybody else.
I had to dig deep into the dark trenches of my soul and make up my mind to make a change. It took EVERYTHING out of me. I had to change how I perceived things, and I had to change how I reacted to them. I had to take charge.........and I did. Don't get me wrong. It wasn't easy. It was one of the most challenging things that I have ever had to do, but it had to be done.
I had to practice what I was preaching to my depressed teen, and I was determined that she would see my effort. I couldn't change my circumstances, but I could change ME.
Here are 10 things I did
ISo, my dear friends, our paths may never cross, but of this, I am sure: Life isn't easy for most of us, but we have it within ourselves to take charge of our destinies.
Be brave, be strong and fight for YOU because YOU are important, and YOU are worth it.
I will face any detours in my journey through this life with grace and poise because, in the end, All Roads Lead Right Back To ME.
“When life gives you a hundred reasons to break down and cry, show life that you have a million reasons to smile and laugh. Stay strong.”