Hey my loves,

Once again I’m back with a blog from yours truly, but lemme warn y’all now that writing this gave me all the feels (yeah I know I always say that, but I can really feel it in my bones this time!). Even though at the moment my bones are COLD AF because Louisiana decided to be 30 degrees today!

But that’s not the point for this particular blog.

In this particular blog I’ll be talking about mental health and the “ D word” which is currently the journey I’m recovering from. We have a tendency to avoid talking or expressing, and trading it in with a “suck it up” attitude. It’s no wonder depression goes often ignored when we were taught that life is simply tough. As a black woman, I see mental health being taken lightly even in my own race. We ignore mental health and sweep it under a rug just like the problems we bury within. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. (For more info, visit mental health.org)

Going through a mental illness is not a walk in the park. I’ve been there plenty of times thinking no one understands (or if you’re an introvert like me, you decide to bottle it in and distance yourselves from the ones you love). At first it sucks all the energy out of you. You might go through a period where nothing makes sense. But that’s when faith kicks in. The power in knowing you can manifest out of anything is merely the thing that will get you out of anything. The truth is it’s hard to get to that point if you’re not serious about it.

We’ve all felt that type of pain. And some of us are holding on things in the past because we won’t  forgive or let go. We also forget how much space our brain consumes things that shouldn’t matter at all. Why do we do it? Because self-sabotaging is the fastest cure we can think of. I mean I’m tough, I’ll just deal with it myself and nobody will know…right.? Guilty!

This past week, I’ve missed work due to health issues that I had no control over, and I could feel the Big D slowly creeping on me. If you know me personally, I’m a person who loves to be productive even on my off days! But things work crazy in the Universe I must say. The moment I get sick,  a flash goes off and I immediately feel grateful of everything I have! But a couple days ago, I was probably complaining about something silly or being a Negative Nancy. Crazy right? Our brains are programmed to react to everything we feel (even if we choose not to show the reaction externally).  It’s crazy how fast our frequency changes when our feelings change.

Since I was bedridden for a couple of days and had to make the best of it, I had a chance to re-read You Are A BadAss (which is a badass book BTW )  by Jen Sincero. In the chapter, “It’s so Easy Once You Figure Out That it isn’t Hard”, there was a quote that said, “Going out in the world and trying, yet still deep down believing that you’re ruled by your past circumstances, is like forgiving someone but still hoping they sit in something wet.” And I FELT that.

It’s so easy to tell yourself that you let all the hurt go. Yet, removing everything against you is not an overnight job. Time heals wounds. Plus, Oprah was built in a day!) For the ones reading this who run a brand and business: always remember why you started, even during the bad times. For the ones with jobs they love/hate: you’re there for a reason. Take the lessons and run with them.

When “ish finally hits the fan, it’s really a reminder of how often we can take for granted the littelest of things. Like our health. Like having a job who understands. Like having bad ass bosses. Like having extra money. Like having good connections. Like having a snowball on a hot humid day. Like a friend who is there when you have a break down. Everything that you think is so easy because you have access to it are the things we forget is not available to everybody. Be grateful. Even during your “ish.”

In the midst of the storm, you have to keep going to get to the sun!

“You have to change your thinking first, and then the evidence appears. Our big mistake is that we do it the other way around. We demand to see the evidence before we believe it to be true”. -Jen Sincero

It’s almost the same feeling I get I think of this sermon by John Gray when he stated the words in a gentle voice saying, “His no should be enough.”

In the toughest of times, I trust God through the midst, but than fear creeps in. Often times, I do the whole “let go and let God” thing  feeling positive after praying and fasting, but I also struggle not doing the things I feel like I should be doing. I’m human. It happens, but the goal is to have faith even through the dust clouds.

Learn how to tell yourself what you deserve. Ask and it is given. In the meantime, act like you have it already. Watch the change. Those nights that you can’t sleep. The tossing and turning. The insomnia game. Staring at the clocking reading 4am are the probably the moments God is saying “we need to talk.” Regardless if you’re spiritual or not, finding a way to get through a mental illness is something you have to personally apply to your life. If you think you’re suffering from a mental illness, I found an awesome article with great tips with dealing and healing. Check it out. http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/31-tips-boost-your-mental-health

In the meantime, you can catch me working on self. One day at a time. And I pray you do the same. ❤️

                                                       Zip.

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