Painful Carries

Healing is messy.

There will be good and bad days. Many days reminiscing what you could have done to change the outcome and other days you’re happily living your best life. There will be moments you feel completely over the heartbreak or loss and random moments where it all hits you over again. Through it all, remember you are human. It’s normal to feel, to break down, to smile. Take all the time you need to move on.

• Just as food is essential for your body, self love is essential for your soul... much like sunsets.

• Location: Arizona

I think there is immense pressure to turn every negative into a positive. But I believe you are allowed to say, “ I am going through something difficult and it sucks” or “I went through something really strange and awful and it forever altered, changed me.” We don’t normalize that it’s ok to be not ok.

When your mental health is not in the best state, give yourself a break. Do not feel guilty for things you can’t do. Know that’s it’s ok to struggle.

Just as food is essential for your body, self love is essential for your soul.

But it may take time. It’s ok to not be jolly and full of cheer. Rest, recover, be kind to yourself and know this is temporary. It may not seem like it now, but you will get through this.

I think it’s beautiful, the way we carry pain. Carry it as long as you need to, until it doesn’t hurt you anymore. So you can finally put it down, lay it to rest. Only visit it again to grab the knowledge from the lesson. Trust the wait. Embrace the uncertainty. Enjoy the beauty of becoming. When nothing is certain, anything is possible. I hope Christmas was how you imagined or need it to be for you. As you open the first days of 2024, Happy New Year to all of the beautiful imperfections who wake up and keep trying every day… sending out so much love and possibilities for you my friends ♥

Branching Peace

Rooted, you bloom wherever you are planted.

I believe we are interconnected to people like one big human family tree. Even in adulthood, I am still stretching out my branches because I am deeply grounded in love. Experience has taught me that relationships come with the potential to enhance our unique biographies and our collective story as well. Rooted, you bloom wherever you are planted.

• Keep the peace in you as much as the peace around you.

• Location: Parker, CO

I am the person no one worries about because I always show up when people need me. Whether it’s writing a character reference only knowing you a few months. It’s loaning money knowing you swallowed your pride. It’s offering consulting services at a reduced rate because you need help. It’s sending referrals because I support small businesses. It’s walking your dog while I have a 103 fever. It’s holding your hand and crying together because loss is never easy. It’s defending your reputation when others speak ill of you. It’s all because of love and friendship.

I am the person who says “I got it.” Even when I really don’t sometimes. But I always figure it out. Everyone thinks I’m strong and I have it all together when I really just deal with things quietly.

My super power is a trifecta of resilience, fortitude, and gratitude.

I don’t let other people down. I really am the multipurpose friend. I’m down for brunch, church, kicking ass, working out, whatever. Just let me know. I am there.

If you pay attention to the patterns of your life, you’ll realize everything always works out. Everything always takes you to a greater destination. You always grow and the things you think you can’t survive, you somehow divinely make it through. That’s life. Always remember that. Don’t be the kind of person to settle. Keep not settling.

Ever notice how every hurtful action ever committed can be traced back to a selfish motive? The painful pill to swallow is that we are all essentially selfish. Think about it. It doesn’t mean you can never experience happiness, but simply you don’t negate the happiness of others so you can enjoy yourself. The bottom line is that you either make decisions out of love for others or love for yourself. Whatever you put your time, energy, and money into will become more important to you.

This next part is a message for the people who are not in my life anymore. Setting boundaries is not unkindness. It’s self care. Never confuse the two. I never seek losing anyone, it’s the opposite. I always fear losing people I care about. So if I lost you, it means you hurt me to a point that I could not tolerate. If I lost you it’s because I chose to leave after I gave you millions of chances. No relationship is ever a waste of time. If it didn’t bring you what you want, it taught you what you didn’t want. So release relationships that require unhealthy heavy emotional lifting. Nurture relationships that offer a sense of ease, openness, and reciprocity. During this season of gladness and season of cheer, make sure you keep the peace in you as much as the peace around you ♥

Move Inward. Subtract Joyfully.

I hope Thanksgiving allowed you to feast on love, food, and people. For me, #Thanksgiving is a time for moving inward, whether that be physically into our homes or introspectively into our souls. Oh how I love the stretch of time that encourages us to slow down and embrace all things cozy.

Welcoming the cozy season is a ritual I look forward to. It’s a time that enables us to create a soothing, comforting environment, one where we are not encouraged but sometimes even forced to slow down for a little while. To embrace really simple things in life. I have always been drawn to #simplicity as self care for years. If you ask yourself, “what can I subtract from my life right now?” You can clear the clutter in order to tune in your soul. It’s choosing what’s best for you right now.

Joy is what is found in the subtraction. There is nowhere to be, nowhere to go, nothing we have to say or do. Just sit and rest. Sit and be. Be still and know. Listen to your soul and let it speak to those around you. Here’s some of my ways to slow down.

♥  Linger over coffee and sneak a piece of chocolate.

♥ Look out the window in your kitchen and watch the world go by for a minute.

♥  Snuggle under the warmth of a fuzzy, worn blanket.

♥  Leave room on the couch for someone to sit close and love on you.

♥  Take long walks outside, lift your face to the sky, and feel the sunset kiss your cheeks.

♥  Be ready for all the places you will go.

I hope you find and embrace the joy of missing out and take good care of your body, heart, mind and soul ♥

bon_vivi_ant_eats • Location: Phoenix, AZ

#recklessoptimism #healing #firstloveyourself #selfcare #mentalhealth #intuition #jomo #happinessmiles