Still Breathing. . . now what? P1

I just shared one of the most intimate experiences in my life, and quite frankly the vulnerability feels great! I have always tried to shy away from exposing the parts of my life that are not particularly working, simply because perfection is a tale I have sold to myself for years, and it sometimes feels like betrayal to everyone who looks up to me for one reason or another. Ok, but that’s besides the point. Today, I want to share some major life hacks that I use for my emotional growth everyday, as part of my recovery.

Gratitude is something so simple yet so difficult. I say this because gratitude is only gratitude if you mean it. I think we live in a world where we are so used to saying “thank you” just because it is one of the five magic words. No one really thinks about the meaning or the effect of using these words.

Every morning when I wake up, no matter how I feel, I must say “Thank you”. Sometimes I don't even know what I am grateful for, but once I express gratitude, my brain is already ready to receive or to experience good things or great lessons that will cause me to actually be grateful. Once in a while, when I wake up in distress, I choose to write it down as opposed to forcing myself to say it.

The major reason why I adopted this practise was because when I was in therapy, one of the things I came to realize was that some of the things I faced were because I simply refused to see the good in my life. This has helped me to deliberately bring this up to surface, where I can confront both the good and the bad, appreciate the good while trying to learn from the bad.

So ya, a “thank you” a day!

I probably own more journals than clothes (which is maybe low key worrying). I believe that there is so much power in words. Written words, are even better, because I figure they stay in memory for a longer period of time. I use my words to uplift myself, check my progress, remind myself to pull up my socks etc. I generally use my journals to check my thoughts. Reason being, my thoughts create my reality, and being in control of them means I have control over my reality. I have three different journals:

Journals are a human’s best friend. After all is said and done, one of the greatest things I will leave behind will be the impact of my words. If I died today, these will be the mark of my existence.

This is the single most difficult practise I have tried to consistently build. I do my best to show up. The reason why this works for me is because there’s nothing more important to me than progress. Showing up on a day when I would rather not is one of my best measures for progress. I show up for myself, I show up for my colleagues, I show up for my family, I show up for my friends, no matter what, I show up.

However, it is very important to recognize when you need time out for yourself. By prioritizing self-care, you are still showing up for you. I guess it is safe to say, no matter what you do, no matter where you are, no matter how you feel, PLEASE SHOW UP!

Finding the things that work for me was a long deliberate process. I do the things that make life just slightly better, slightly more enjoyable, slightly more manageable. So far, I struggle with consistency, especially on the low, anxiety-filled days, but hey, at least I try.

I hope you enjoyed yet another sneak peek into my little online diary.

Until next time, love and light! ❤

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