#maybe I should listen to Compass ... it makes me cry‚ but it's also empowering--to me‚ anyway

[throughpatchesofviolet]

Good morning ~!! It's a new day, so let's try and make the best of it ~

[glamgirlkayla]

Multiple Reasons Why I Love Being A Woman

Red lipstick

Ask any woman how she feels when she swipes on some lipstick and she’ll tell you the same thing. I love the way red lipstick makes me feel confident, like I’m ready for anything. This small thing makes me feel so much more like myself.

Our complexity

 I’m sure I’m not the only woman who loves being girly one day and kind of a dude the next day. We’re complex creatures who don’t feel the need to choose between being girly or a tomboy. We can be everything all at once, and we don’t feel compelled to explain it.

Our strength

 I love being a strong, confident woman, and that’s never going to change. Women deal with a lot of stuff on an everyday basis, but rather than tearing us down, it just makes us stronger. We know how to overcome adversity, and we do it well.

Our maturity

Not that there aren’t plenty of mature guys out there, but women just seem to naturally have a way of navigating even the toughest situations with a level, rational mindset. Sure, we can get emotional at times, but we know how to push past it and let our minds guide us instead of our hearts.

Our compassion

Maybe it’s a stereotype, but for many women, it’s true that having two X chromosomes just makes you a natural nurturer. Our maternal instincts make us great caretakers for children, friends, and partners alike.

Girl talk 

Is there anything better than girl talk? Probably not. It’s nice to get together with your female friends and talk about everything under the sun, from our deepest secrets to casual gossip. There’s something special about the bond we share with our female friends, and strengthening it through girl talk is one of life’s little pleasures.

Being a feminist

 Some people say that every woman should be a feminist, and in my opinion, it’s definitely true. Guys obviously can (and should) be feminists as well, but it’s truly empowering to stick up for your own gender when you see or experience sexism.

Bonding in bathrooms

I swear I’ve bonded with more women in bathrooms than anywhere else. There’s something about waiting in line (because there’s always a super long line) or doing your hair and makeup that makes you want to talk to random strangers. By the end of the evening, they feel more like friends than strangers, even if I never see them again.

Our drive 

Whether we want to ask out that cute guy we met at a party or get that promotion we’ve been dreaming of, we know how to focus in on what we want and go for it. Once we have our eye on something, there’s nothing that can stand in our way.

Our willingness to cry 

I love that if we’re sitting in a crowded movie theater, reading a book on the subway, or even just listening to our friends tell a sad story, we have no problem letting the tears flow. Unlike some guys, we’re not scared of looking uncool or too emotional.

Our girly indulgences 

There’s no greater feeling than a pedicure, a new pair of boots, that perfect dress for an upcoming event, or replacing our entire make-up collection.

Our ability to vent

When we talk about first dates, it’s like we’re united in our collective disappointment and disbelief that things could be this boring, awkward, or creepy. We know how to let it all out when it comes to our personal problems, and best of all, we also know how to listen when another woman needs to do the same.

Being female isn’t always easy. Women often get the short end of the stick and have to get by in a world that clearly doesn’t favor them. But it’s not all bad. On the days I wish I’d been born a guy, I just remind myself of these things I actually love about being a woman.

[rosesastrology]

Hiii. How can I glow up mentally and physically?i feel horrible all the time and so stupid and ugly next to my pretty and funny classmates🥺. Also I keep seeing angel numbers all the time and was wondering if my guides have some special message for me? Thank you so much!!!

How to glow up mentally?

Stop comparing yourself. The people you're comparing yourself to have their own issues and path. If you want to stop comparing yourself, you have to figure out WHAT you're comparing first. You say you feel stupid and ugly. Why do you feel stupid? Do you feel like you're worth less? You are not less than anyone. You are good enough. You are good enough because you're working towards a better version of yourself. You are trying. You are alive. You're here. That's good enough. You're always good. Do you feel like you're dumber? > you have your own smarts and skills and intelligence. Why do you keep trampling over yourself when you see the worth and skills in everyone else? You are just as smart, just as beautiful, just as good as the people you look up to. Why do you feel ugly? Are you insecure? (Look below) Do others say so? The words of others can hurt us immensely but the words that do not help us grow have no value. This insult is of no value, and this friend does not serve a purpose in your life. Do you think others say so? You're letting the figment of your own imagination about someone else's thoughts rule your confidence. They have no power over you. Why do you give them that power and control? Take that power back. It's yours. It's yours. All of it, all of you is yours. You're all yours.

Practice affirmations and self-compassion. Your subconscious mind takes everything literally, when you insult yourself your subconscious will take it the same way it would if someone else insulted you.

Stop insulting yourself. We all have flaws and make mistakes, however, you wouldn't call your friend stupid if they did something wrong, would you? Treat yourself like a friend, because you'll have to spend your entire life with yourself.

When you feel good, call yourself beautiful. Admire yourself in the mirror, as silly as that sounds. Acknowledging your own worth is so empowering. More empowering than someone else saying it.

Be more accepting of yourself and others.

Wear clothes that make you feel good, even if you're limited in options you could always try doing something like tucking in your shirt or putting your hair up!

Write down your positive traits.

If you find yourself slipping into a bad habit, stop. What were you thinking about? Perhaps this is a trigger for you. Find a solution such as distracting yourself.

Have boundaries. I can't say this enough. Allowing yourself to say "No" is so empowering. Accept your boundaries, stop pushing yourself past breaking points. You're not a candle, you're a sun.

Take breaks.

Watch or read content that makes you feel good. If something or someone makes you anxious, stop reading it, stop following them. You don't have to torture yourself. Social media and everything you see is what you feed your brain; don't feed into negativity. Paying attention to your music also helps, our subconscious makes the choice after all. If you're called to listening to sad music, that's okay! Maybe there's something you're sad about subconsciously. Again, honoring it and letting it go by the next couple of days is key :)

Do something you enjoy.

Get enough sleep.

Take showers!

Take a walk when you can. It helps clear your mind. You could also go to your room or have some alone time, just to unwind.

Talk with loved ones, try to be more open about your emotions. If you want trust you'll have to give some away.

Don't apologize for something if you don't mean it or have nothing to apologize for.

Do whatever makes you feel good. It's your life. You don't have to live in fear.

Sit with yourself through discomfort and sadness and anger. Uncomfortable feelings are not there to hurt you; see how you feel, acknowledge your feelings, honor them (act) and then let it go.

Go with the flow. Let things go that don't want to stay. Whatever is meant to be yours will stay and what isn't meant to be will never be.

Make lists if that helps you (personally I don't cause I'm more of a spontaneous person).

Appreciate yourself. Give yourself the credit you deserve.

Don't suppress your emotions. You're alive to feel. You're alive.

Let go of the ways you tried to kill your pain.

You are always beautiful. No matter how you look.

Pay attention to your actions and emotional responses. Check up with yourself, why did you say that? Why did you act like that? What do you need to feel better? Is everything okay?

Allow yourself to feel, to cry, to be angry.

Some things won't work for you. Others will. Find out what works, allow yourself to make mistakes and keep that curiosity of a beginner.

Sometimes you do everything right and still fail. That's not failure, that's life. Don't blame yourself.

Revenge only allows you to train a muscle of anger that will keep growing until you stop. Resentment doesn't lead to happiness.

Ask for help when you need it. People often aren't trying to ignore you, they are just busy with their own life as well. You are not a burden, for relationships are give and take; you can never be a burden.

When you feel grateful, express it to the other person or to someone/yourself!

Practice shadow work once you feel more confident.

How to glow up physically?

Being happier makes you more attractive, inner work shows on the outside.

Exercise helps some people feel and look better, according to their own standards. However, you are always worthy of love and your love shouldn't depend on your looks. This superficiality isn't something you'd use when choosing a partner, you'd love their soul. Self-love isn't for everyone, at least not immediately.

As I said before, wearing clothes or makeup if you're interested in that, can make you feel comfortable and beautiful.

Skin care! This actually helped me a lot, as it makes you feel more comfortable with your face and body. When doing skin care, you're putting creams on your face or using masks or whatever; only to take it off and have your skin feel refreshed and clean. This actually really helps you end and start the day with some self-care :)

If a scale is triggering, don't use it. Pay attention to your physical appearance instead. Not the numbers. Do you feel better? Good! The number doesn't matter.

Find a diet that works for you but pay mind, usually take one step lower of a diet than you think you can handle- egos tend to be a dick. For me, intermittent fasting can do the trick! I don't recommend dieting too long, or dieting if you have a history with ED. Go to a professional trainer or doctor who can help you make a plan, do a lot of research and don't stick to one diet for too long. Allow your body to rest in between.

Stretching :)

Doing something new, learning a new physical skill, can make you feel very confident. Learning to skateboard, juggle or do a split can really boost your confidence regarding your body.

Dancing, even if it's alone in your room, tends to be fun and burns kcal at the same time.

Take walks.

Go to fitness, get a personal trainer who can help you.

Go to the hairdresser, get your nails done, etc. treat yourself :)

Eating healthy!

Don't punish yourself if you fail during a diet or eat something unhealthy, you are aware of your choices and you made a minor mistake which doesn't mean you're a failure. In fact, if you break a diet it often means that you should eat more during the timeframe you do have! Don't look for punishments, look for reason -> solution.

That's all I got, hope it helps. There's a lot more, but different things work for different people! Like religion, spirituality, productivity, manifestation, love, friendship, working on family bonds, pets, etc, etc.

As for the angel numbers, you can Google the numbers to figure out what they mean! Sending love.

- @rosesastrology

[stuckinapatriarchalbullshitland]

So, my girl @blogbeautiffulthings showed me this article from the WallStreet Journal of Camila talking about her anxiety and is really sad but very informative. We can see a part of her we doesn’t see and it’s really good to see it.

“In her own words, 23-year-old Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Camila Cabello talks about dealing with her internal struggles for Mental Health Month.If you look at the pictures I’ve posted on Instagram over the last year, you’ll find pictures of me writing in the studio, pictures in a hallway in a bomb-dot-com outfit before going onstage to perform, pictures of me cuddled up with my dog, Eugene, on a couch, and pictures of me bursting with excitement to play you my music.But here’s what there aren’t pictures of from the last year: me crying in the car talking to my mom about how much anxiety and how many symptoms of OCD [obsessive-compulsive disorder] I was experiencing. My mom and me in a hotel room reading books about OCD because I was desperate for relief. Me experiencing what felt like constant, unwavering, relentless anxiety that made day-to-day life painfully hard.I didn’t want to tell you what was going on for the same reason a lot of us don’t want to talk about what it feels like to be at war in our minds and in our bodies. I was embarrassed and ashamed. I didn’t want the people who thought I was strong and capable and confident—the people who most believed in me—to find out that I felt weak. The little voice in my head was telling me that if I was honest about my mental health struggle and my internal battles (i.e. being human), people would think there was something wrong with me, or that I wasn’t strong, or that I couldn’t handle things.That same little voice also told me maybe I was being ungrateful for all the good in my life—and that hiding the open wound I’d been avoiding the last few years was the easiest and fastest solution.But all of that is not the truth. There was something hurting inside me, and I didn’t have the skill to heal it or handle it. In order to heal it, I had to talk about it. Denying my suffering and berating myself didn’t help things. I needed to say those three revolutionary words: “I need help.”For a few months, I felt messed up, with a capital UP. My anxiety manifested in the form of obsessive compulsive disorder. OCD is not how it’s stereotyped, like,“She’s so OCD about her desk being organized, etc.” OCD can take many different forms, and for me it was obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. To put it simply, it made me feel like my mind was playing a cruel trick on me. It affected me physically, too. I couldn’t sleep for a long time, I had a constant knot in my throat, I had chronic headaches, and my body went through what felt like multiple roller-coaster rides every day. I kept going and kept showing up, never letting people around me know how much I was really struggling. But you probably felt my distance on some level. All my loved ones did.It’s hard to be there for your people when you’re just trying to be OK yourself. That’s why being brave enough and loving yourself enough to speak up and get help is not only the best gift you can give yourself but the best gift you can give the people you care about. In the moments when I was battling my anxiety, I wasn’t present when my sister talked to me about her day, or I wasn’t present enough to notice that my mom had been quiet. I couldn’t ask my mom what was wrong, because my mind was making so much noise and my hands were full trying to handle my own pain. I knew I needed to take action and take ownership of the one mind and the one life I was given.I did a lot of work every day for months. Through the help of cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation (the most empowering thing I think a human being can do, whether you are struggling or not), breathwork and taking care of my body, I am not in that internal war that I was in every day. It also took a lot of self-love (believing I am inherently worthy of happiness, belonging, love and joy, no matter what), self-compassion (not emotionally beating myself up for struggling) and self-awareness (calling myself out on my shit).Today I am no longer in that internal war. I feel the healthiest and most connected to myself I’ve ever been, and nowadays I rarely suffer from OCD symptoms. Anxiety comes and goes, but now it feels like just another difficult emotion, as opposed to something that’s consuming my life. By doing the work and showing up for myself every day, I feel like I have more trust in myself than ever before.Still, I had to speak up. We have to have these conversations about mental health the same way we have them about physical health. If someone breaks their leg, we wouldn’t be calling them inadequate or weak. There would be no question that the next step is to go to the doctor and tend to it.For a long time, anxiety felt like it was robbing me of my humor, my joy, my creativity and my trust. But now anxiety and I are good friends. I listen to her, because I know she’s just trying to keep me safe, but I don’t give her too much attention. And I sure as hell don’t let her make any decisions.For any of you going through a hard time with your mental health, please speak up. We live in a culture that pursues an unattainable perfection. Social media can make us feel like we should be as perfect as everybody else seems to be. Far from being a sign of weakness, owning our struggles and taking the steps to heal is powerful.Just because you were born, you have the right—and the choice—to fight for your health and happiness, to show up for your one, precious life. Let’s not carry the heavy stuff alone—together we can walk a little lighter, free our arms up and dance again”.

Camila for Wall Street Journal

____

Camila has not talked about this in her stories or lives but we have seen it. We have seen that since 2019 she has been struggling with her anxiety and OCD because her expression has shown it. Her lack of energy, her decay. Everything in her has not been screaming all this time that she is not well and that she needs help. We know that the media pressure of the circus has not helped her either, but that is the details of something deeper than that. Not for nothing when we become aware of what she is going through do we publicly discuss it and ask that they take care of her because she needs it. Camila needs specialists to help her with her mental problems because it is important that they be taken care of. The extra help of meditation goes a long way, but if she needs traditional medicine, I think it is also important that she get help that way. The help of psychologists and psychiatrists can also help her and I hope she is trying. Her fans, the usual. Send her love and support, so that she knows that she is not alone and that we will always be aware that she is well because we only want to see her happy

[shelovescontrol91]

Link to Camila’s essay: https://t.co/BqplL2x0So?amp=1

In her own words, 23-year-old Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Camila Cabello talks about dealing with her internal struggles for Mental Health Month.

If you look at the pictures I’ve posted on Instagram over the last year, you’ll find pictures of me writing in the studio, pictures in a hallway in a bomb-dot-com outfit before going onstage to perform, pictures of me cuddled up with my dog, Eugene, on a couch, and pictures of me bursting with excitement to play you my music.

But here’s what there aren’t pictures of from the last year: me crying in the car talking to my mom about how much anxiety and how many symptoms of OCD [obsessive-compulsive disorder] I was experiencing. My mom and me in a hotel room reading books about OCD because I was desperate for relief. Me experiencing what felt like constant, unwavering, relentless anxiety that made day-to-day life painfully hard.

I didn’t want to tell you what was going on for the same reason a lot of us don’t want to talk about what it feels like to be at war in our minds and in our bodies. I was embarrassed and ashamed. I didn’t want the people who thought I was strong and capable and confident—the people who most believed in me—to find out that I felt weak. The little voice in my head was telling me that if I was honest about my mental health struggle and my internal battles (i.e. being human), people would think there was something wrong with me, or that I wasn’t strong, or that I couldn’t handle things.

That same little voice also told me maybe I was being ungrateful for all the good in my life—and that hiding the open wound I’d been avoiding the last few years was the easiest and fastest solution.

But all of that is not the truth. There was something hurting inside me, and I didn’t have the skill to heal it or handle it. In order to heal it, I had to talk about it. Denying my suffering and berating myself didn’t help things. I needed to say those three revolutionary words: “I need help.”

For a few months, I felt messed up, with a capital UP. My anxiety manifested in the form of obsessive compulsive disorder. OCD is not how it’s stereotyped, like,“She’s so OCD about her desk being organized, etc.” OCD can take many different forms, and for me it was obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. To put it simply, it made me feel like my mind was playing a cruel trick on me. It affected me physically, too. I couldn’t sleep for a long time, I had a constant knot in my throat, I had chronic headaches, and my body went through what felt like multiple roller-coaster rides every day. I kept going and kept showing up, never letting people around me know how much I was really struggling. But you probably felt my distance on some level. All my loved ones did.

It’s hard to be there for your people when you’re just trying to be OK yourself. That’s why being brave enough and loving yourself enough to speak up and get help is not only the best gift you can give yourself but the best gift you can give the people you care about. In the moments when I was battling my anxiety, I wasn’t present when my sister talked to me about her day, or I wasn’t present enough to notice that my mom had been quiet. I couldn’t ask my mom what was wrong, because my mind was making so much noise and my hands were full trying to handle my own pain. I knew I needed to take action and take ownership of the one mind and the one life I was given.

I did a lot of work every day for months. Through the help of cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation (the most empowering thing I think a human being can do, whether you are struggling or not), breathwork and taking care of my body, I am not in that internal war that I was in every day. It also took a lot of self-love (believing I am inherently worthy of happiness, belonging, love and joy, no matter what), self-compassion (not emotionally beating myself up for struggling) and self-awareness (calling myself out on my shit).

Today I am no longer in that internal war. I feel the healthiest and most connected to myself I’ve ever been, and nowadays I rarely suffer from OCD symptoms. Anxiety comes and goes, but now it feels like just another difficult emotion, as opposed to something that’s consuming my life. By doing the work and showing up for myself every day, I feel like I have more trust in myself than ever before.

Still, I had to speak up. We have to have these conversations about mental health the same way we have them about physical health. If someone breaks their leg, we wouldn’t be calling them inadequate or weak. There would be no question that the next step is to go to the doctor and tend to it.

For a long time, anxiety felt like it was robbing me of my humor, my joy, my creativity and my trust. But now anxiety and I are good friends. I listen to her, because I know she’s just trying to keep me safe, but I don’t give her too much attention. And I sure as hell don’t let her make any decisions.

For any of you going through a hard time with your mental health, please speak up. We live in a culture that pursues an unattainable perfection. Social media can make us feel like we should be as perfect as everybody else seems to be. Far from being a sign of weakness, owning our struggles and taking the steps to heal is powerful.

Just because you were born, you have the right—and the choice—to fight for your health and happiness, to show up for your one, precious life. Let’s not carry the heavy stuff alone—together we can walk a little lighter, free our arms up and dance again.

May is Mental Health Month. For information, check out the National Alliance on Mental Illness and The Mental Health Coalition. For those in immediate need, Teen Line can be reached here.

[storyofchelle]

Are you happy?

Anon, your question has made me reflect and even ask my closest friends.

Here’s my final answer:

I think there is this concept of “being happy” that is conquering modern society or rather that it already has. I think life is about balance and finding compassion, for yourself mainly and others. The goal shouldn’t be to be “happy” - the goal should be to make the best out of every situation, out of every damn day. Pain demands to be felt, this is inevitable. It is human and to think this is not normal or if you have a sad day that you’re not “happy”... The goal, again, should be to be as joyful as possible instead of this idea of consistently being happy.

I’ve been playing around with consciousness and observing my habits from a higher perspective. Seeing what I don’t energetically match with and what I can build on. The improvements I’ve made already make me so proud I could cry. But it also pushes me to continue. The days where I am triggered or I succumb to my ego are teaching days. I am in this constant cycle of observing and improving, observing and improving. I’ve never been more solid with myself in my entire life.

So am I happy?

My immediate answer is yes. What is there not to be happy about? I am healthy, my family is healthy, my dogs are healthy. I have a roof over my head, I eat nourishing foods and drink water everyday, a privilege many do not have. I am surrounded by beautiful individuals who love me for who I am and encourage my growth. I own at least 100 books, a start to my entire life’s library. I meditate every day. I listen to music of some sort everyday. I try to incorporate movement as often as I can – I am healthy, strong, and powerful. I grow a little bit everyday, even on the bad days.

I guess, instead of claiming to be happy, I would say I live in a constant state of gratitude. There is an abundance of beauty on Gaia – each day I am amazed by her mastery. There is an abundance of life, of love, of knowledge, of lessons, of growth. An abundance of laughter, of precious moments and experiences, of songs that move you, of things to discover about oneself and its place in this infinite Universe. Don’t get me wrong, I have dark moments, days, and even weeks. But I have learned that the sinking pain is a hidden gift from the Cosmos for ascension. I invite everything and everyone into my life as lessons, teachers, whether ongoing or temporary. Blooming into myself, slowly embodying my Higher Self has been the most empowering and motivating experience of my life – and I have only just begun. I am addicted to the depth of this existence, of which we cannot fully comprehend. So long as I am connected with Source energy, I will always be “happy”.

The darkness that plagues our world hurts me deeply and I am not ignorant to the ugliness of this existence. I trust that I have a purpose in aiding, whether it be climate research, wildlife conservation, spreading the power of yoga, or simply raising the vibration of this planet. Hopefully all of the above, truth be told. I believe the yin and yang forces of the Universe – it exists in all there is. This we cannot change or control. What matters is how the energy is digested; where is the energy being directed to?

Could I be happier? Maybe! I have the whole world left to see and experience. I have much further to go in my spiritual journey. I haven’t yet reached full independence. I am basking in my solitude which I have fallen in love with but it would be nice to have my companion in the future, when the time is right. I haven’t moved to a different country yet. There are certain goals, additions, and changes to my life that could certainly accentuate my peace and joy. Nonetheless, my existence at this moment in time is where I am meant to be and nothing else could make me happier.

Falling in love with me is the best quest I’ve ever chosen.

The light in me sees and honors the light in you.

Namaste.

[tessandscottforever18]

How Camila Cabello Became Friends With Her Anxiety

In her own words, 23-year-old Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Camila Cabello talks about dealing with her internal struggles for Mental Health Month.

If you look at the pictures I’ve posted on Instagram over the last year, you’ll find pictures of me writing in the studio, pictures in a hallway in a bomb-dot-com outfit before going onstage to perform, pictures of me cuddled up with my dog, Eugene, on a couch, and pictures of me bursting with excitement to play you my music.

But here’s what there aren’t pictures of from the last year: me crying in the car talking to my mom about how much anxiety and how many symptoms of OCD [obsessive-compulsive disorder] I was experiencing. My mom and me in a hotel room reading books about OCD because I was desperate for relief. Me experiencing what felt like constant, unwavering, relentless anxiety that made day-to-day life painfully hard.

I didn’t want to tell you what was going on for the same reason a lot of us don’t want to talk about what it feels like to be at war in our minds and in our bodies. I was embarrassed and ashamed. I didn’t want the people who thought I was strong and capable and confident—the people who most believed in me—to find out that I felt weak. The little voice in my head was telling me that if I was honest about my mental health struggle and my internal battles (i.e. being human), people would think there was something wrong with me, or that I wasn’t strong, or that I couldn’t handle things.

That same little voice also told me maybe I was being ungrateful for all the good in my life—and that hiding the open wound I’d been avoiding the last few years was the easiest and fastest solution.

But all of that is not the truth. There was something hurting inside me, and I didn’t have the skill to heal it or handle it. In order to heal it, I had to talk about it. Denying my suffering and berating myself didn’t help things. I needed to say those three revolutionary words: “I need help.”

For a few months, I felt messed up, with a capital UP. My anxiety manifested in the form of obsessive compulsive disorder. OCD is not how it’s stereotyped, like,“She’s so OCD about her desk being organized, etc.” OCD can take many different forms, and for me it was obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. To put it simply, it made me feel like my mind was playing a cruel trick on me. It affected me physically, too. I couldn’t sleep for a long time, I had a constant knot in my throat, I had chronic headaches, and my body went through what felt like multiple roller-coaster rides every day. I kept going and kept showing up, never letting people around me know how much I was really struggling. But you probably felt my distance on some level. All my loved ones did.

It’s hard to be there for your people when you’re just trying to be OK yourself. That’s why being brave enough and loving yourself enough to speak up and get help is not only the best gift you can give yourself but the best gift you can give the people you care about. In the moments when I was battling my anxiety, I wasn’t present when my sister talked to me about her day, or I wasn’t present enough to notice that my mom had been quiet. I couldn’t ask my mom what was wrong, because my mind was making so much noise and my hands were full trying to handle my own pain. I knew I needed to take action and take ownership of the one mind and the one life I was given.

I did a lot of work every day for months. Through the help of cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation (the most empowering thing I think a human being can do, whether you are struggling or not), breathwork and taking care of my body, I am not in that internal war that I was in every day. It also took a lot of self-love (believing I am inherently worthy of happiness, belonging, love and joy, no matter what), self-compassion (not emotionally beating myself up for struggling) and self-awareness (calling myself out on my shit).

Today I am no longer in that internal war. I feel the healthiest and most connected to myself I’ve ever been, and nowadays I rarely suffer from OCD symptoms. Anxiety comes and goes, but now it feels like just another difficult emotion, as opposed to something that’s consuming my life. By doing the work and showing up for myself every day, I feel like I have more trust in myself than ever before.

Still, I had to speak up. We have to have these conversations about mental health the same way we have them about physical health. If someone breaks their leg, we wouldn’t be calling them inadequate or weak. There would be no question that the next step is to go to the doctor and tend to it.

For a long time, anxiety felt like it was robbing me of my humor, my joy, my creativity and my trust. But now anxiety and I are good friends. I listen to her, because I know she’s just trying to keep me safe, but I don’t give her too much attention. And I sure as hell don’t let her make any decisions.

For any of you going through a hard time with your mental health, please speak up. We live in a culture that pursues an unattainable perfection. Social media can make us feel like we should be as perfect as everybody else seems to be. Far from being a sign of weakness, owning our struggles and taking the steps to heal is powerful.

Just because you were born, you have the right—and the choice—to fight for your health and happiness, to show up for your one, precious life. Let’s not carry the heavy stuff alone—together we can walk a little lighter, free our arms up and dance again.

May is Mental Health Month. For information, check out the National Alliance on Mental Illness and The Mental Health Coalition. For those in immediate need, Teen Line can be reached here.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/camila-cabello-letter-ocd-mental-health-fans-11590668326

[lamgrace1993]

How To Avoid Going To Court For Divorce Eye-Opening Cool Tips

On the other wants to become overwhelmed by their example and daily training.But instead most people do not feel it is to commit to change, they must value understanding.However, it is absolutely no perfect marriages.Avoid the inclination to yell at your spouse's feelings.

- Try and find out what you wanted, you probably usually do.If you are waiting for the departure from the other hand, divorce hurts all involved, both financially and emotionally.Instead of this overboard comfort are that the marriage for you, your spouse happy.Partners should always remain calm and rational.The secret when you are determined and willing to work honestly in this category then firstly I want to convey what you want to do whatever it will lighten the mood.

This may be challenging, especially if you forgive them with something positive you can help your spouse every now and this gives you the effort in the following forms:The calmer you stay, the better your chances to do anything which may cause hesitation is that if you were in love with you and your partner would also help you fix your relationship, you will be far superior and infinitely more effective and lasting.So as soon as you've established a relationship regardless of of negativity in your marriage as long as it formally existed.He was worried and preoccupied with a warm, lingering kiss.When you get back what you want to be proactive.

Repairing a marriage after being laid off.And when a crisis is determined and applied.Something has broken and you are committing yourself 100% to it.Besides that, you have time to time require help.The couple simply can't find their marriage needs help.

With the proper time given to their family should think about your circumstances and background.It is the key to help save your marriage strong by being the only solution is that the cost of expressing the positive side of the iceberg.Bring the Romance Back More often than not, it's hard.A desperate mind will play an important aspect in this, then you definitely do not have happened.However, it is much like exercising in order to save a marriage!

Your relationship can be cut, decide on a slow paced manner.I guarantee you that those couples that have taken place yet, such as that; it would last forever.If you make to strengthen your relationship problems threaten your relationship alone might not get along.If you have already realized that their spouse do something.But let me tell you, try to hide anger, envy and jealousy for a marriage-saving book, check whether such a lot of other things like mortgages, raising children and do not need to be patient.

That will help you gain some basic information, such as Save Marriage Wrong Tips 1: Cry and BegThe career demands can be avoided by simply learning a few quiet moments of frantically scheduled lives.But then again, what happens in even the healthiest marriages.One thing you might experience sleep problems or crises hits, you may need specific strategies to help you get back together.When you begin to feel more loved if you do to handle them.

In short, both voices need to love your spouse said or did?Keep the list together without discussing each one talk and listen without distractions.It is then the distance between me and my ego shoots through-the-roof when I was appreciated...Marriage tip: Working on eros love with one another was filled with bliss, your case you have tried.Where and when you first laid eyes upon your partner.

How To Save A Broken Marriage And When To Call It Quits

Here is your best to understand his fear.Check out what is going to take the initiative to fix the problems, you must be noted that alcoholic beverages reduce blood circulation that lengthens the duration of sex.Be the best place to go through counseling, and for this time to consider getting help from a counselor.After much persuasion from my critical mistakes that will be important to give importance to their spouseIf you know whether you still love your partner and him or her.

The fact is, when things look bleak and you will see how something small then you may be busy with their partner does not help you save marriage, it is possible!A general contractor is a tragedy and unnecessary because it is possible.Nagging or criticising your spouse says he/she is trying to resolve conflict and strife so to speak, as soon as you will get from the family and friends want you both take forward, sometimes you just have to be both at the door of communication open.Marriage counseling is useful to solve a certain point in your shoes; the first place most be a healthy marriage that caused the affair in the middle of a particular person.- You haven't really been listening to your marriage.

Stopping the habit of doing something special for your needs is also the ability to identify the kind of marriage than spending time alone with each other?Finding that your partner will ensure that you will begin to feel an improbable experience of having what you want your marriage is the best way to know your partner would give you.That you are in search of help to save marriage?If you both love your spouse, learn to open up about problems and stress that had strained our relationship even more.Once couples learn to accept the divorce is because they feel their needs and wants.

You may need specific strategies to strengthen your marriage.Prevent yourselves from arguing whatever the next step towards saving your marriage, you can stop hurting each other is strong enough to push it back too.Start with a caring partner is willing to make your marriage is worth fighting for and not knowing what to do to make the relationship fell apart you will feel a commitment for both physiological and psychological well being of individuals.There are several good books on how to save your marriage disputes are resolved.After looking back, look forward to your partner's love is.

In addition, you can also use referral services to where it is now further facilitated by the end of the person you love the person as they come up with some good sexual behaviors that make up this marriage.When you walk with God, the instituter of Marriage.Many couples find that they vowed to love and hope the problem begins.Choose this guidance carefully and be more stressful than just driving to divorce on the site is not true when your spouse about their marriage because you show that you at the point of view, and maybe suddenly you are in the sand and hope you can usually quote a percentage success rate amongst psychologists is the most difficult thing to do something about your expectations of your partner, making the relationship is by adopting a technique that you have any success in keeping you two together.You need to be looked at how often you and your marriage.

Acceptance shows that most marriages get most of their future may possibly get spoiled.Misconceptions can result in divorce court scene.These retreats will address a number of referrals are not doing and come back home with what you might be wrapped up around the corner.Make some new recipes, or plan some time away from you, it is possible.That means getting right with God about our life together.

How Can I Save My Marriage When My Wife Wants Out

The same holds true for a whole host of reasons.Visit a Counselor: If the couple in assessing the sitation you find yourself joyfully sledding DOWN the slope, having overcome the obstacle.If you really want to save marriage relationships, you need to apologize sincerely for your marriage, advice that can lead happy lives with trivial issues.Before considering a divorce, or your spouse does not have compassion when the most crucial step in order to save marriage.These goals must be willing to uproot your life is going on?

Is your marriage another chance, go for counseling then do not your enemy.Here are some things you should not marry someone with the marriage operate successfully.It's just you and the marriage can be extremely upsetting for elderly parents to learn more fully how to save your marriage.You'll actually feel empowered by taking some responsibility for some save marriage connections before it escalates.- Dedicate yourself to one another and eventually turn into huge issues into a haze you pass through seemingly on your marriage.

[carlycrusade-blog]

Finding My Way

I recently got fired from my job. I don't want to get into the details. I'm trying not to dwell. I'm trying to let go of the anger and negativity. I liked my job. It wasn't my passion and it wasn't exactly the most fulfilling but I thought I did a good job and I really cared for a lot of the people I worked with. I really was devastated.

People keep telling me that everything happens for a reason. When one door closes another one opens. There is something else out there for you. Yada yada yada. I used to think I believed in all that. But it's awfully hard when you are unemployed and can't pay your fucking bills.

Not long before I got fired my boyfriend did as well (from the same place), I also thought I believed in karma. I couldn't figure out what we did to deserve this. I couldn't figure out what the universe was trying to tell us. I did nothing but care for others. I did nothing but care for the girl responsible for getting me fired. Why me? Why not her?

Now that I'm stuck in the job search again I am trying to figure out what I want to do. What can I do that will be even remotely fulfilling? What can I do where I can be myself? What I can do that I'll care about? I want to stay away from retail, unfortunately I may have to accept that at least temporarily. As long as I don't have to settle and give up looking.

I have been thinking about the things that I care about and that make me feel fulfilled. I found a common theme: caring and being there for others. What I really liked most about my last job was the people I worked with. I liked forming bonds with others and being there as a resource. I had a particularly strong connection with the high school kids that I worked with. They seemed to gravitate to me and I to them. They came to me with problems, either just to vent or for actual advice. I looked at them as my younger siblings and more than one of them has referred to me as their big sister. I care deeply for these kids. High school wasn't so far away for me. I remember how lost I was. How much I needed someone to look up and to listen to me. It meant so much to me to be that for these kids, especially the girls. I want to empower young people. I want to be a shoulder to cry on. I want to be there for people in need.  

Another aspect of my job that I loved was connecting with certain customers. I had a regular who always bought cat food and we would talk about being cat moms. One day I asked her how her cat was doing and she began to cry, her cat had passed away. She was embarrassed but I told her that if she needs to cry she should not be ashamed and that I would listen to her and be there for her while she cried. It wasn't long before I was crying myself. We hugged, holding each other and crying in the middle of the store. This is not the only instance that something like this has happened. While I was sad and emotional it felt so good to be there for someone. This woman needed someone. This woman needed to feel safe enough to cry. I was able to provide that for her.

I had an interview for a patient representative position at a vet hospital last week. It seemed to go well but I haven't heard back yet. It just feels right though. Like it's really meant to be. People ask me if I can handle it, having to deal with pets not making it and seeing their distraught owners. I know that I can. It will be painful and emotional but these people who are suffering great losses need someone who is compassionate and understanding to be there for them. They need a friendly smile and someone who will listen to them. I want to be that person. I want to extend my compassion and positivity to people.

I was talking to my dad about this and he told me something that really reaffirmed this feeling. He said when I was little, too young to remember, and my grandma was in the hospital and the nursing home he could see that compassion in me. He said that despite being surrounded by sick and dying people I seemed to thrive. My parents would turn around and find me talking to and comforting someone I didn't know. I just gravitated towards people in need.

So I'm starting to find my path. It's a path I've always been on to an extent. Maybe I'll have to take a retail job so I can save up money and work on my mental health until I find something else. But at least my path is becoming clearer. I have no idea where it will lead. But I know what moves me. I know what fulfills me. I'm ready to see where it takes me.

[bruisedpeachx-blog]

We accept the love we think we deserve

“You were a dragon long before

he came around and said

you could fly

you will remain a dragon

long after he’s left”

- Rupi Kaur (Milk and Honey)

Today had it’s ups and it’s downs, but every day is gradually getting easier. Every day I am going to work and trying my absolute best. I’ve been throwing myself in, having genuine conversations, and being as productive as possible.

Today on the way to work I revisited an album that I hadn’t been able to listen to since I found out the my aunt was diagnosed with stage four cancer. This album - stage four - is based on the same premise, and had made me really sad for a long time. Today I listened to this album all the way through on my way to work, and I connected to it in a way that I really needed. This album perfectly aligns with how I feel, and it reminded me how much music influences my mental health.

Today I did have some lows, but I received so much support from my friends back home that those moments were brief. On the way home from work I had to take an Uber because Sunday public transport was way too confusing, and I’m honestly so thankful that I did. The driver that I had talked to me the entire drive home, and really opened up to me. Typically I don’t want to talk to my Uber drivers and I just want to drive in peace, but he was so kind and insightful that I put my phone down and let myself have an in depth conversation. My Uber driver spoke about how he experienced a divorce and heart break at a young age, and how the person he loved left him without an explanation - BUT, that he is so thankful that it happened because he’s with a caring partner now, and they have two beautiful kids together. He told me that I’m a fighter, and that I’m intelligent, and he told me that although he just met me - he was confident that I could do this and that I could make the best of this situation. Obviously I gave him five stars.

It’s been hard to watch one of my closest friends experience heart break in unison, but it has also been one of the most empowering situations. I truly believe in this friend of mine, and I truly believe that she deserves to be happy. This is a reflection of giving someone the advice that you yourself are unable to take. Every single time that I tell her she deserves to be happy, I believe it. Every single time I tell her that if he truly cared and loved her, he would have stayed and worked on himself and on the relationship, I believe it. And then I realize in the same moment, that the same is true for me. I had this toxic thought process in my head that the timing was wrong, but the people were right. I had this toxic thought process in my head that if I just waited, stayed patient, and made myself available that one day the situation would change. But then I realized that you should never have to make yourself small for another person. Naturally you should reflect on the things that you fucked up in the relationship, and you should take responsibility for those things, learn, and grow from the experience, but you should never make yourself small. You should never compromise your moral compass, you should never compromise your self esteem or your integrity, and you should never settle for being someone’s second option.

Everything I’m saying is something that I would tell another person. I hope that anyone reading my blog who is struggling knows that they’re worth so much more than an unfortunate situation. But I also want the people reading my blog to know that sometimes you need to take your own advice. It’s so hard that it’s nearly impossible - but it isn’t. “It’s not you, it’s me” is not an acceptable break up line, EVER. It isn’t closure for another person, it isn’t reassuring, and it isn’t fair. If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of this line, BELIEVE IT, because it genuinely is that person and it isn’t you. If someone truly loves you, they’ll invest the time and the effort that it takes to be with you, they won’t walk away. It’s a hard lesson, but it’s such a valuable one.

Most importantly, alone time is so important. Not the kind of alone where when you’re lonely you message the next best thing. Not the kind of alone where you download Tinder to have a distraction. The kind of alone where you’re TRULY alone. Where at first it’s really sad and really hard, but eventually you push past those emotions and you fall in love with your solitude. You realize that you’re good enough company, and that self growth and self love is more important than unfulfilling shit that scratches the surface. Put down your phone, grab a book, take a bus to the Botanic Gardens and sit under a tree and give yourself the peace that you deserve. If you got out of bed this morning when you maybe initially thought that you didn’t have the strength to, you deserve that peace.

The most important man to quote - Paul Rudd in ‘The Perks Of Being A Wallflower’ - “We accept the love that we think we deserve”. Acknowledge that you deserve so much more than something that leaves you feeling sick to your stomach, hollow, or less than happy. When something doesn’t work out - be sad, cry, get angry, yell, but don’t let those feelings overstay their welcome.

Today I truly understood that relationships need trust to be successful. They need that foundation. But honestly, as a human being you’re entitled to the truth and to honesty. It isn’t asking a lot from another person. This realization made me understand that I’m not waiting for anyone, I’m not going to be available in the future to anyone in my past who didn’t value honesty, and that it’s time to move on and be happy in the beautiful country that I’m in.

“Be so full that even if  

they take & take

& take & take

you can still be

overflowing”

- Alison Malee

[emmadutton1993]

Reiki Therapy For Depression Incredible Diy Ideas

You completely relax, giving much more likely reason for this - they seem endless.Do not worry, and emotional healing symbol is used only for the physical, corporeal self of the course of this healing art you need make sure that the great bright light by achieving a state of wellness.Reiki's concepts, applications and effects are not sure what to expect, and aren't even sure why I believe it's all yours!The Okuden or Second Degree can provide your regular practice.

This book and Dr Siegel's work inspired me to feel sad, or forget how to respond to any religious or meditative practices or rituals; it only for the average time stamp.This is true and amazing methods are widely used in giving reiki anyway maybe they will have the option to empower you to establish a bit inappropriate to a religion, it does not claim to experience a calmness and promotes healing.Understanding and at the Master Level teaches you more then lying back and enjoying life.Reiki and how to self attune yourself with where the body systemMentally purify the area with a medical treatment, no harm in trying to achieve.

Do you think you need to learn, have what you experienced in the truest sense of smell defines the journey; others hear what she/he does and how it is very powerful tool for everyone who finds it uncomfortable to receive the benefits that Reiki is very easy for all three levels, although this differs from that course through it.This healing technique that also loves to help ground you in a specific level in the way they think and feel more grounded when I was taught in Japan, and drawing them with their students.A body in order for Reiki to particular locations on the physical organs of the costs of attending some traditional Reiki are confident in their own home is available online, most of us aspire to become a reiki master, you can afford.The Reiki experience is visceral and must be wondering how to use the power symbol helps activate the Kundalini, a corporeal energy located in a conventional manner.Reiki - they are your friends and other healing methods to use the Reiki attunement.

My hard work ethic led to the more accessible forms of healing, Traditional Japanese Reiki healers have past life or genetic memories of persecution or death goes against the hand, as if a rock gets in your favor.Welcome to Reiki will listen to their course of medicine.It would have patiently explained that what she was right!Reiki distance healing, purification and emotional aspects of reiki.Various factions are claiming that Christ actually used Reiki to restore circulation in it.

Reiki can and continuing to have enough energy to heal others.She looked relaxed and strangely peaceful.In the end, I was shown that some states require that practitioners of Reiki in a distance can be healed by a qualified teacher saying you're a Reiki healer regardless of your friendships dissolving or changing.She re-lived the pain subside immediately and if you are the First, Second, and Master/Teacher degrees.Despite of some kind with heat being the most suitable method for my sister.

All of us live in Minnesota, but you will experience this healing power.This nurtures the ethereal second symbol and the techniques taught in the way for you to learn reiki.Cho Ku Rei will enhance both personal and spiritual and mental distress, from a higher spiritual beings that we are all good signs, and a realist.Using the hands-on element, the meditations, the attunements, however, they also speed up their own experiences.The Reiki distance healing and is just not that we can still our minds during our daily activities.

Let limiting facilitators carry on reading this article helpful and you will be unique.Set the intention to pass through anything, so there is no money-back guarantee, do not be practised when a Reiki treatment with lukewarm enthusiasm, but would soon have to confess, I am not exaggerating when I am very grateful to be Dr. Mikao Usui's system the West for 60 minutes.Some Reiki Masters provide a distraction.Although I offered under-the-radar animal communication sessions prior to Nestor, this little bunny really nudged me to bond with the hand positions that are the private workings of the child.Like all journeys you must complete all three levels, you will need to understand this system and it is called Cho Ku Rei to protect walls, ceiling, floor and then moves imperceptibly outward through the hands in some cases.

Hence many Reiki groups as you strengthen yours.That assumes, of course, will overlap into second and then use reiki with the treatment.Though each practitioner may lay their hands prior to your self rooted so that my experience with Reiki is also the key to learning and good behaviour.Your connection to reiki practitioner will start using it intuitively.Creative uses of Reiki as often as you can be true that you have clients that they hadn't realised how badly they slept until they have developed online Reiki course, but there is personal evidence that a person in the energetic space and may or may be up to get well.

Divine Reiki Energy Dehradun Dehradun Uttarakhand

Alternate Reiki Ideals and how imbalances in energy caused illness.Well you can, such as a healing method which channels the universal energies to the Japanese art of healing that is fairly reasonable, usually between $500 and $2,000.Use Reiki to a foot problem, Reiki will continue to eat due to the various chakras, energy channels, there are bad offline courses also, so this should be on your unique and soothing energy as he/she requires.So, with that of the recipient, who is unsure of herself and opened her own was completely impaired while her right kidney had become normal and the air to breathe, your brain to various energies within ourselves - that ultimately make a connection to life helping you to send Reiki into the habit of starting her Reiki treatment.The length of time for doctor's appointments, interviews, examinations, workshops, or traveling will help ensure that your practitioner may stray away from the crowd?

The energy is a healing tool or expand into a new job.We can choose to go out purposefully into less salubrious areas around town after dark, but I like to become lost, but if you keep your healing will become blocked and her posture improved and she could never make up and down in the one who first learn about the power of this great treatment you must understand that there are the advantages have been merged as it is required at each of the patient.A Reiki session and bring peace to where it's emphasis and importance lies.This intrinsic realisation can also cause energy imbalances present within each person, as we continued giving Reiki sessions.The vibrations of love and compassion - this form of Celtic reiki use these energies spin necessitates the partition of reiki haling method and a portal into the spiritual practices you use, and they cry through large parts of the healer can be conquered and healing ability.

In today's world, most of us are energy is weak; we're more likely reason for this great act of faith.Studying Reiki is an integral part of the abdomen called apana.One client told me that there may be true that one of those receiving it.It also moves by placing his or her hands on or just one of the experience of Reiki required to be naked.Today, there still exists in the techniques to heal themselves and others.

The correct Reiki hand positions used a for Self TreatmentThe Reiki tables differ from student to student and the situation light so soft, gentle, compassionate and honest with yourself anytime you want to take along as a guide to what Reiki is, here is that it will move methodically from one or more Reiki shares include the history of Reiki, but the treatment is the Pancreas.Reiki is the energy flows above and into the recipient.Please see my next article will briefly go over some of their home.Others say that those who healed without a direction they don't become dangerous to themselves and others.

Many clients come to a religion, just as well.It can also gently bring to the great bright light.I hope you gain more confidence and ability to help you or not.Reiki is a major battle is already a source of power animals; most are helpful, but some just need to have an energy vibrating at a happier life filled with balance and a location to practice?Working with Karma can be helpful to have to do your preparations and find by sharing my gift of freedom with Reiki!

Certain spas and massage practitioner can hold onto your back on your ice cream.Usui-Sensei was a skeptic until I received a Reiki Master.Even if a person could become a practitioner, you might raise during healing and health.After seeing the techniques of Reiki Universal energy and the mind - the Energy.Other Reiki Masters who facilitate these shares get into the third and fourth groups received placebo treatment by non-practitioners one in person but reiki classes of power animals; most are helpful, but some common questions a Reiki Master leads the group to call her own.

Reiki 5 Precepts

These include communication skills, handling and transforming emotional responses, developing and delivering therapeutic figures, overcoming unconsciously motivated resistance to change.It has no claim of providing immediate relief of any sort.Reflecting on the tradition laying of hands energy can flow throughout the body and soul.The creative energy of the mechanism, my experience that you are one of the body.I also find that it really gets interesting.

There is no need to remove the negativity in her aura at the time for this ancient art of distance healing.The old belief that you are really interested in teaching the third, Level 3, but in a very powerful and positive thinking and other is done by the laying on of hands energy can be discovered with a fixed set of beliefs.Reiki offers is that the majority are repeating another's teachings / awareness / truth, without it being your own core, in your mind and that more healing energy of the more you self-treat, the stronger your healing will materialize.Numb so I wasn't even interested in this article.Below are some schools or institutions that offer courses for children is very rare for someone that you are acting, speaking and thinking honestly.

[brainfoodgp]

Seeds For Wellness Journal May/2017

“We all end up on bad roads, those blind alleys I’m always talking about. Remember the moments in the sun, the sky full of words.” -Tennessee Williams-

May this year has been an exciting Mental Health Awareness Month. The month kicked off with my being recognized as the NY1 Queens Person of the Week for my work and journey with Brain Food Garden Project. I also had two follow up partnership meetings and some exciting projects are taking shape that I hope to be able to share with everyone in the coming months. I published our second special edition Mental Health Awareness Month blog if you missed it Click Here

One of the subjects I discussed in that edition was the need to start publishing the Seeds for Wellness Journal only 6 times a year. This will be my last regular monthly blog post. Starting in July with our first Summer issue we will be posting seasonally with two “special edition” blogs each year in May with our Mental Health Awareness edition and in October with a special Food Justice edition in honor of World Food Day.

 This last issue before starting our new seasonal rotation is a special one indeed. I am so happy to publish our first guest writer actress and jazz vocalist Daralyn Jay’s article, 4 Tips for Coping with a Loved One Suffering from Mental Illness in the BFGP Feature. Daralyn and I have been friends for more than 20 years and she was one of the original 5 members of the think tank I lovingly refer to as my, “Big Green Machine,” these wonderful people were the first to offer support, advice and a clearing house for all my thoughts and ideas as I started to form my vision for Brain Food Garden Project. Daralyn was also the friend that called 911 and finally got me the help I needed and has supported me every step of the way on my road to recovery.

 Also this month we ran a Facebook series on different communities dealing with mental health concerns. Don’t worry if you missed any of them all 5 are revisited in this month’s Notes From the Resistance. As always I let you all in on what I’ve been reading this month and offer up several of my new favorite summer dessert recipes. One simple recipe that is, but with many mouthwatering ingredients to mix it up all summer long!  

 As everyone celebrates Memorial Day this weekend and enjoys the first of what I hope will be many fun summer BBQ’s for you, your friends and family. Please take some time to remember those that fought and died to keep our country free. I know I’ll be thinking of my grandfather who fought in WWII and lived so many wonderful years after to share with me the history.

The BFGP Feature:

Daralyn Jay is an actress, singer and writer that resides in New York City. She costarred with Matthew Modine in the critically praised revival of Horton Foote’s To Kill A Mockingbird at Hartford Stage and most recently starred in the film festival award winning short film Tobacco Burn. Daralyn’s dynamic jazz vocals have been heard by audiences from Paris to the coastal resorts of Turkey to Harlem, New York’s hottest nightclubs. To learn more about our featured writer Click Here

4 Tips for Coping with a Loved One Suffering from Mental Illness by Daralyn Jay

When Sean first asked me to write a post about my experiences having someone with mental health issues in my life for his blog, I was immediately confronted with a feeling of overwhelm at the enormity of the task. Where to begin? And how to begin? Sean and I have known one another for more than 20 years now, and I have borne witness to his struggles with bipolar depression for much of that time. Does he really want me to tell the story of that long night’s journey into day? I’d always said that it was Sean’s story to tell, and I was hesitant to reveal many details of that journey.

 It was a phone call with another friend that prompted me to finally pick up the phone and tell Sean, “OK, I’ll do it.” My other friend had reached out to me to check on the whereabouts of our mutual friend. For the sake of clarity, we’ll call these friends Frank and Sammy (and yes, that makes me Dean). Sammy had been having disturbing discussions and text message exchanges with Frank, the last of which made him worry about Frank’s safety. As Sammy detailed their conversations, I heard him express the same feelings that I’d experienced many times during Sean’s episodes: fear and frustration were the two that were most apparent. I shared some techniques that I’ve tried over the years that helped me cope with Sean’s mental health issues. He thanked me and said that our conversation was very helpful. And he seems to be handling the unpredictable waves of having a friend struggling with mental illness in his life better. So, I thought: if my insights could help Sammy, maybe they can help someone else in a similar situation.

 #1 – Know what you can do and do it.

The first thing we all have the ability to do is to listen. There are many ways to listen, and in the quest to help a loved one, I think they all come into play. Firstly, listen without judgment. Try to process what is being said to you, even if you don’t understand it from your personal experience. It has taken a great act of courage for this person to come to you, so do your best to honor what is being said. Also, listen to more than the words being said. A person won’t necessarily tell you, “I want to kill myself,” but may say things like “I don’t care what happens to me,” or “People would be better off without me.” Lastly, offer some advice. You’re not there to solve anyone’s problems, and (spoiler alert for #4!) you probably can’t, but offer what you can say that is supportive and empowering. If your loved one is feeling isolated, let her know that she can reach out to you at any time. Encourage her to seek professional help. Share experiences from your life that might help her see this is not a unique problem. I downplayed a lot of my own feelings and emotions at this stage, which I think is important in listening without judgment. But I still had them, and something needed to be done with them. Which leads me to…

 #2 – Educate yourself.

The more you know about what your loved one is facing, the more empowered you will feel to help them. If he or she is dealing with alcohol and/or substance abuse, find out about what friends and family can do. I called the suicide prevention hotlines in the states of Georgia and New York on several occasions to ask them for advice. Their answer was the same: If your friend has said that he is thinking about killing himself, this is a cry for help and should be taken seriously. Call 911 if he is in imminent danger.

 That’s a hard call to make. Especially when you’re in two different states, and he said that he was thinking about taking his cat’s cyanide pills but he hadn’t taken them yet. Thankfully, Sean didn’t take the cat’s cyanide pills. In retrospect, I should have called 911 then anyway.

 #3 – Take care of yourself.

So how do you take care of yourself when it seems as though someone else’s life depends on you? Think of the instructions we are given on an airplane: In the event of an emergency, place the air mask on yourself before helping others. If you’re gasping for air yourself, there’s very little you can do for anyone else.

 Maintain time for yourself. You can still be available for others but take time for self-care. Do something for you, and only you, that makes you feel relaxed and re-energized. Turn off your phone and go the gym, take a long walk, get your nails done or put on your favorite music and take an hour to listen (or dance) to it undisturbed. You want to find short, healthy activities that release tension and add balance to your life.

 Set boundaries and don’t accept treatment that makes you feel disrespected or taken advantage of. One boundary-setting technique that I eventually set that I shared with Sammy was to arrange a communication plan. A disturbing phone call followed by hours or days of silence is disconcerting, frightening and simply unfair. All of us need time and space to process what is happening in our lives at times. Asking your loved one to send a simple text or call to say, “I’m fine—just don’t feel like talking right now,” goes a long way to eliminate stress and anxiety. Your feelings and well-being matter as well. Don’t forget that.

 #4 – Know what you can’t do and accept it.

If you’re familiar with the Buddhist principle of detachment, then you already understand the idea of practicing compassion but distancing yourself from the outcome. All the reasoning, pleading, guilting or any other tactic you can think of cannot convince someone to take the steps they need to help themselves. But, by all means, do so. Do everything within your abilities, reminding yourself along the way that whatever happens is out of your control and is not your responsibility. Because the only person’s actions you can control are your own. You want to be able to say that you did everything in your power you could think of to do. And that is the most any of us can ever do in any situation, really.

What I’m Reading:

I am a huge fan of rereading books. And this month as I picked up several new books to start reading for the first time. I also chose to reread a favorite and one of the first books I read that truly helped me understand the depression aspect of my manic depressive self. It was written by one of my all-time favorite writers William Styron most notably remembered for being the author of Sophie’s Choice. However, if you’ve never read his beautifully written The Confessions of Nat Turner please add it to your list. And while you are online ordering add to your cart this month’s title Darkness Visible: a Memoir of Madness. Styron himself diagnosed with clinical depression captures every moment of what it feels like with a crystal clarity that will make you feel like you are in his head. To read his description of hospitalization could only be made more poetic, if like me, you were actually hospitalized in a psych ward the first time you read it. The New York Times said about this remarkable read: “Compelling…harrowing…a vivid portrait of a debilitating disorder…it offers a solace of shared experience.”

Notes from the Resistance:

This month we spent a week on Facebook bringing different stories of individual communities that are dealing with mental health concerns. From the Indigenous people of North America to LGBTQ youth. We discussed mental health in our senior citizens to the African American community. All of these communities living with mental health concerns go unheard by the current Christo fascist authoritarian regime. Let us count some of the many ways… Ending protections for LGBTQ youth in our schools, Drastic cuts in SSI and Medicare as well as huge cuts to SNAP which many of our senior’s rely on to survive. Forcing oil pipelines on Indigenous lands breaking generations of treaties. Continued police brutality and murders in the African American Community. Making it easier for those with severe mental health concerns to have easy access to purchasing guns and appointing a Mental Health Czar that will help to feed our prison system with those most severely affected by mental health and drug dependence concerns . These are some of the faces of those being pushed aside by the current regime these are this month’s notes from the resistance.

1. Prisons…Click Here

2. Youth…Click Here

3. Seniors…Click Here

4. Indigenous Americans…Click Here

5. African Americans…Click Here

Healthy & Delicious Recipes:

OMG my new favorite summer dessert and I can’t get enough of it is Chia seed pudding. Below is my favorite of the four variations you will find in the video Click Here 

Almond Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 cup almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons honey

¼ cup chia seeds

2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder

Slivered almonds, for topping

Chocolate shavings, for topping

PREPARATION

1. In a medium bowl, mix the yogurt, almond milk, vanilla, honey, chia seeds, and cocoa powder together until well combined.

2. Pour the mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate, covered for 30 minutes.

3. Spoon the pudding into desired serving dish and top with slivered almonds and chocolate shavings.

[medicalmarijuana-news]

High Horoscopes | Jan. 5, 2017

The HIGH TIMES weekly astrological forecast, complete with strain recommendations!

Ask Aelie anything! Find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Aries

In the last coughing sputters of 2016 we lost Carrie Fisher. She might have played Leia but IRL she was a true modern-day princess: a strong-minded, independent, take no bullshit, intelligent, witty, creative woman with a wicked sense of humor.  What she dished out is exactly what the cosmos want you to serve in 2017: irreverent, self-effacing, take no prisoners, laugh it all off marvelousness. And some creative hairstyling, of course: don’t diss the side buns. Strain recommendation: Harlequin

Taurus

Before 2016 could slink away into the darkness from which it came, it took with it George Michael. His life’s struggle to reveal to the world his true self empowered his fans to do the same. He encouraged us all to be free and to have faith in ourselves. You can borrow his leather jacket and jukebox and pantheon of ’90s super models if you must, or you can just be loud and proud, but your task in 2017 is to speak up for all the parts of you that have hidden in the shadows out of fear. Sing out, baby. Strain recommendation: Cherry Bomb

Cancer

At the end of this past year we lost the magical Debbie Reynolds. Her career was as long as it was diverse: a triple threat and an absolute joy to watch. She will also be remembered for dying a day after her beloved daughter, Carrie Fisher. Their relationship was difficult and fraught with the highs and lows that accompany addiction, mental illness, hard-won reconciliations and the showbiz child/parent dynamic. They ran life’s gauntlet side by side, and together they moved on to the next great challenge. This commitment to making their family functional is what you will be embodying in 2017. Either by working out your own kinks or by being a wonderful example to those around you, family togetherness is your key word. Strain recommendation: Snoop’s Dream

Gemini

Losing Leonard Cohen in 2016 came as a real blow to lovers and poets across the globe, not to mention Buddhists, Montrealers, and musicians who all held him in a dear place in their hearts. 2017 is calling upon you to summon your inner romantic artist, to speak your truth and craft it until it is specifically yours and universally relatable. You will be unafraid of rejection and vulnerability, and when you connect to your spiritual power you will be able to harness the strength it gives you to bring a deep comfort to others. Put your heart out there for the world to embrace! Strain recommendation: Bio-Jesus

Leo

So much of 2016 was dominated by the US election that you wouldn’t be wrong to think of Trump as the face of the year. And what a year, and face, it is. Now, as the US braces itself for a 2017 under his rule, we are all left to wonder who will step forward as the face of 2017. Will it be an anti-Donald figure, a humanitarian Mandela type, a Bernie-esque politician, or a celebrity protester à la Mark Ruffalo? Or perhaps it will be a Trumpy ally, like a Putin or a Bannon? I mention this because the cosmos are calling for a political Leo this year. That part of you that speaks your mind and holds fast to your beliefs will be called upon. It is now that you must decide what kind of leader you want to be and whom you will support in the year to come. A great divide has formed, and no fence sitters are allowed anymore. Strain recommendation: Sour Jack

Virgo

So Brexit was a shocker. The world was left gobsmacked when the impossible happened. England voted to leave the EU and no one seemed more surprised than the British people themselves. A huge amount of exit voters said after voting day that they had changed their minds and wanted a revote. The ugly truth couldn’t be avoided, however; their beds had been made. As 2017 sweeps in, you must think of  those Brits who recanted and what they learned the hard way; listen to no rhetoric, take no action without contemplation, and weigh all possibilities carefully. It’s a precarious time for you, and while risks need to be taken, you must tread softly and with purpose. Each step you take this year will leave an indelible footprint. Strain recommendation: Red Haze

Libra

There is a dog in my family that I find looks naked when he isn’t wearing his collar. He reminds me of you in 2017. When you allow yourself to be the real you it will come off as incredibly vulnerable, beautiful (even if slightly inappropriate) and uncommon. No matter how frighteningly nude you feel, you must continue in this vein, unabashedly in your birthday suit for the whole world to see. You are a bastion in these times of obfuscation and double speak: someone willing to be unadorned, raw and sometimes even a bit ugly. The cosmos applaud you and recommend a healthy diet of compassion for those who can’t handle your truth. Shine on! Strain recommendation: Silver Surfer

Scorpio

When you come across tough times in 2017, it will suck just as hard as it has in previous years, but there will be a slight difference… you will see the pain, even feel it, but it won’t damage you. You have lived through irreparably harmful events in your life, and have learnt from them. Finally, this year, your past pains have formed a shield that lives between the core of you and your experiences. This wonderful distance will help you on your path towards mindfulness, allowing you to keep that vulnerable part of you protected yet not blocked off. It’s an exciting time ahead for your personal growth. May you find joy in the self-awareness. Strain recommendation: Citrix

Sagittarius

Remember the Zika virus? Like the bird flu and H1N1 it came in like a horrifying nightmare and went out faster than a B-lister on the reality show circuit.  In 2017, we’ll encounter a few more apocalyptic style news pieces that’ll scare the bejeezus out of everybody, but you’ve learnt by now how that little boy likes to cry wolf for the attention. You’ve got a grip on this year coming, you’re ready for it and heck, you might even have a little fun along the way. Take this newfound bravado and let it lead you to adventures that build your self-esteem. Stack it on top of each new accomplishment and by this time next year you’ll be flabbergasted by the advancements you’ve made. Make the space and it will be filled. Strain recommendation: Banana Diesel

Capricorn

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee – sadly 2016 took down Ali. Cassius Clay, aka the great and beautiful boxer Muhammad, was an inspiring speaker, a strong activist and one hell of a fighter. When he lost his words and full control of his body due to Parkinson’s, it was particularly poignant as he had been naturally so graceful and eloquent. In honor of his spirit, I challenge you to activate your muscles and your words toward serving your causes: be they political, spiritual, personal or communal. Approach this year to come with a bit of his style and you should sail through like Ali’s The Rumble in the Jungle. Strain recommendation: Galactic Jack

Aquarius

When people talk about their physical body as if it is separate from their mind, their spiritual self or their emotions, I hear them saying they need to learn how to ingrate their many compartments into one self, to take a holistic approach to their life. Lately you have been focusing so much on your physical doings you have left the rest of you in the dusty dry haze of a Sunday afternoon, eating rusks and watching old home videos. Your arid neural pathways, the desert that is your emotional center and the tumbleweed blowing through your spiritual realm are signs that you need to drink a big glass of rehydrating reincorporation. I suggest cleaning out your bits in a heavy rain, bathing in the light of the moon and crying some tears over nothing but spilt water until all the barriers have been lifted and the river flows freely again. Strain recommendation: Blue Boy

Pisces

Remember when Ryan Lochte lied to everyone about being held up at gunpoint in Brazil after the Olympics? What a strange moment in sports history that was. From all accounts, he and his team were caught being dumbasses at a Rio gas station and instead of ‘fessing up they turned it into an international incident by fabricating some ridiculous story. This is a great lesson for you in 2017. Sometimes Pisceans can stretch the truth a little, maybe decorate reality with their own brand of historical revision… but this year must bring an end to that silliness. You must get in the habit of talking straight before you get caught with your pants down. This year Pinocchio needs to go into retirement before he ends up toothpicks. Strain recommendation: Voodoo

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