 Yes! You can have fun.
Have you ever been in such a state that you feel you don’t even deserve happiness? That you will forever be hardened by doom and gloom or sadness from unpleasant life experiences... I’ve hit that point I my life on multiple occasions. It’s the story of hopelessness and fear of feeling like you don’t deserve to be happy. Continuing to harbor hurt and guilt of the past, blocking any streak of light and hope from entering your soul… If this hits home for you, you are not this person; we are not this person! We shouldn’t feel ashamed of where we’re from or of our past, good and bad. Live in the moment and celebrate where you are now, what you have overcome, and where you are going. Life can turn so gray that we can’t even open our eyes to see if the sun is even shining. Others, just like you and me, need someone positive to help guide them to the sunlight, someone to mentor them on their own journey to becoming a better person. That someone can be you! Allow the sunlight to shine bright through you so that you can be the same ray of light and hope for someone else. That’s what we have to do. It took someone from the gutter to rise up and show the other person that it could be done. Life is too short to stay in the gray. Lesson 4: Find joy! I mean pure joy at least once a day. One thing to bring a smile on your face and escape your past or a negative in your present. A little fun will take you a long way. A feeling of excitement, a laugh or a hug. What will you be enjoying today?
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 Summer time calls for a lighter wardrobe, cool drinks, and an overall sense of relaxation. The #lightload applies to your well-being too!
Lesson 3: Don’t take on too much at a time, and don’t get discouraged by how far you have to go. Instead, focus or re-focus on starting and conquering one thought and one goal at a time. Take the summer approach and unwind. Your release could simply be in your mind, it could be escaping in a book (Life in its Rawest Form – shameless plug) or lightening your normal sphere of influence and taking some time for yourself. Take time to recharge and reset for what lies ahead. This will allow you to see you clearly. Try not to focus on the noise, darkness, pain, and trauma, which can create roadblocks ahead. Summer is a time where you should focus on your mental and physical wellbeing by taking care of you, doing things for you, celebrating how far you have come, recharging for continuing your journey, and build up the anticipation to conquer more!  In every situation, in order to get a positive result, we have to give up something in the process. If you are looking to get healthy, you may have to give up certain foods. If you are going back to school and you are working at the same time, you may need to sacrifice time and give up TV or extra curriculars.
To pick up from the last blog, revisit that thought you held captive and released. What sacrifice will you have to make to not allow that circumstance, situation, or pattern occur again? It may be not engaging in a certain behavior or not allowing someone to re-enter your life. Don’t focus too long on what you have to give up. The quicker you take the first step to move on to what you can and should do, the easier it becomes. Page 79 of the workbook is a great exercise to encourage positivity in thought and behavior. Sacrifice will lead to Success! Lesson 2: Focus on one pattern or habit and find something to offset when you feel you are approaching dangerous territory. Whether it’s a prayer, physically removing yourself from a space, or finding something new to do in its place. Your sacrifice of not entertaining poor decisions will start to reveal your best and true self.  June. The first month of Summer. This time of year usually brings good vibes and outdoor escapades... However, for some, a sunny disposition may be reflected on the outside, but things aren't so bright in the inside. There are many whose soul Is filled with darkness from sadness or discouragement that not even a ray of sunshine have been able to enter through.
This blog series will explore sections of the companion workbook to Life in its Rawest Form, that focus on true work of the soul. I will share simple and actionable steps of how my experiences shaped me from the inside out. Lifestyle shifts start with one simple change. Section 3.9 of the workbook focuses on this concept and is applicable to anyone looking to do just that. My personal change catalyst was that of having my son as a teen. The lessons learned are applicable to anyone facing adversity. One thing that we can all do is learn from what life has taught us (i.e. our experiences). Learn from past failures, poor choices, and mistakes. Lesson One: Take one, single, solitary poor choice from your past. Hold it captive. Once that thought makes it presence – take it, release it, and learn from it. It sounds easier than it really is because negative thoughts take up way more inventory than they should. You can conquer dark with light! Tilt your head to the sun and let it go… Accept the new day and bask in the sun. Be on the lookout for lesson 2 in the next blog.  Writing was and is therapeutic… it was an outlet for me, when I was younger, to get help without even knowing.
Now my hope is that my voice and experience can be that written word to move others out of their comfort zones and serve as a source of encouragement. My book ‘Life in its Rawest Form’ details my life story. I grew up in an environment with drug and alcohol addicted parents, was homeless, suffered sexual trauma, and was a mom at 15. I had dreamed of better life, but extenuating circumstances weren’t making that a reality… I’m happy to be on the other side. With my book, supporting workbook, and blogs, I can help guide readers through adversity and into a place of peace and purpose.  There was a career fair that I attended my senior year of high school. If you didn’t read the previous blog, check it out. One of the guest speakers was an IT Professional. They spoke about their career and later I went on an informational interview to get a better idea of a day-in-the-life of an IT professional – programming to be precise.
I became very interested and did more research on it and learned how competitive it was, and about the endless opportunities within this field. Mind you, being an 18-year-old with a three-year-old carried its own challenges, but I could not let that deter me for making a better life for us. You have to move and not feel like you’re stuck in your circumstances. I pursued IT in college, earned an undergraduate degree in Computer Science/Information Technology, and looked for a job within a company that had an IT department. I started at the bottom as a Customer Service Rep, then later moved into IT. I learned various programming languages and about the infrastructure of various technologies. Today I am proud to be a Senior IT Manager. Just as that IT professional came and spoke at my school, I am now in the position to do the same and speak to the youth about my story, and how they too can achieve their dreams no matter where they started from. Check out the Speaking page if you are interested in learning more and allow me to encourage growth moves for your audience.  Being a mom at 15, I had to grow up quickly… Life as I previously knew it to be was no longer. My choices and priorities had to change. I was no longer making decisions pertaining just to me. There was another life that I was obligated to care for and protect, and it wasn’t just physical protection I had to provide. I had to protect him from any negligent behavior on my behalf. This meant I had to do my best to avoid making poor choices, wrong decisions, and passing up on opportunities for a brighter future. It was difficult, and I failed at times. However, I had to constantly strive at getting better.
Being an adolescent parent was by far one of the toughest things I would have to face in my life. I had very little room for mistakes, so I took advantage of every opportunity that came my way. Education was my #2 priority. It was the only resource that would afford my son and I a brighter future. There was very little financial stability that I could provide for him at 15 years old, so I had to do my very best with the opportunities I had. The very first opportunity I took advantage of, which actually turned out to be life changing for me, was attending the career fair at school. It gave me insight into professional careers, post-high school and college. I took this opportunity seriously and looked further into the career choices that most interested me. A year prior, I would have overlooked the potential this career fair offered, but becoming a mother made me think differently. Little did I know, this would change the trajectory of my life (more on this in the next blog). How can you grow in this moment? Choose one thing that you can do immediately and act on it with intention, and purpose. Now go and grow!  Move defined: To go in a specified direction or manner; change position.
When facing unimaginable hardships or struggles in life, the mind is where the transition begins. You have to revamp your way of thinking, and no longer make the same choices – “we cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them” -Albert Einstein Consider your options and make small mental shifts where you can. One mental move at a time… Here are 5 small conscious thoughts that can help you through your day.
Hardships and challenges are inevitable. Keep moving and make sure the mental path you tread is leading you in the right direction.  Life experiences makes for the best lessons. Good or bad, these experiences can help you grow and become even stronger, or they can break you down and weaken you. You, I, have the power to control how we allow for our experiences to affect us.
The best thing we can do for ourselves is try to make the best of the not so good experiences. This is easier said than done, but it's something we must work hard at doing to prevent from deteriorating. Experiences can teach you what to expect in future situations of similar circumstances, so that you are more aware and prepared to deal with them, as much as possible. As you overcome trauma from sexual abuse, you have an opportunity to help someone else get through it. This can be another form of helping you cope and overcome your experience. Be the survivor that becomes a hero for others who may have experienced similar trauma. Let your story about your traumatic experience turn into triumph by choosing not to allow it to dictate your future. You are a conquer and conquers have the strength to #overcome. Sexual abuse is certainly not my favorite topic to discuss, but it’s one of my most important ones. #ChooseWisely #SexualAssaultAwarenessMonth #overcome  Is anyone listening??? Oftentimes, when people aren’t being heard by their loved ones, especially when something is wrong, they can feel powerless or invisible. This was the case with my parents. I tried countless times to voice my opinion and let them know how their choices were affecting me, but to no avail.
I was able to find my voice through writing. This led to teachers, principals, and faculty members hearing me, although I wasn’t being heard at home. My writing became a form of expression, as well as a cry out for help, without even knowing it. I’m hopeful my voice will inspire or help others to make better choices or overcome any oppression they may be dealing with. Find your voice - and use it with authority! What will your platform be? |