I have been on quite a rollercoaster ride in the past few months (and if I’m honest with myself – the whole year). I have started a new job and have a new home. I’ve gained people in my life and lost people in my life. I’ve discovered what things matter and what things really don’t matter. At the end of the day, I know I am incredibly blessed, but this doesn’t cancel out the trials and tribulations that life can (and has) thrown my way. We must never lose our resilience, and our strength, because we need this to keep going when times get tough. We must never lose our sense of wonder and curiosity, because without these, we become cynical, fearful, and negative. We must roll with changes and the unpredictability of life, because everything in life comes and goes, ebbs and flows, and acceptance around this is essential.
Here are a few of the most important elements of what I have learnt this year:
Gratitude is so important for happiness:
Without it, it is too easy to focus on the negatives and this can become overwhelming and effect your mood and wellbeing. You will in turn attract more of the negative and less of the positive. I have practiced gratitude consistently this year and it has helped me attract some wonderful things into my life. Recently though, I have been too wrapped up in the goings on of life, to really take the time to smell the roses and give thanks for all the wonderfulness in my life. I am now making a new goal to re-focus my lenses of gratitude and appreciation.
Balance is Key for staying well:
The importance of physical health is paramount when dealing with mental/emotional issues. The moment I get too tired, or feel unbalanced in my lifestyle, is the moment I begin to slowly drown in the many responsibilities of my day to day life. Things get hard. Things become foggy. Life becomes an uphill battle. We make choices every single day, how we choose to live this life. I now choose wellness. Which, for me means sleep and exercise and a healthy diet. Never underestimate the power of these three things.
Friends and family are the most important part of my life:
Work will come and go; money will come and go… but friends and family are there for life. Ok, not all friends are there for life, because people do change, and circumstances can change. But none the less it is so important to recognize the importance of friendships… and also let your friends know how much they mean to you, regularly. I don’t think we appreciate friendships as much as we could. It is important to remember that there are a lot of people out there, that have no one (like me many moons ago). And how lucky are we that we have at least a handful of true friendships? It is literally like gold. This has been more in my general awareness of late, because of the struggles I have had. Friends (and family) make a tough time, bearable. Friends and family ease the pain, and give you hope to fight another way; and they are there to celebrate your wins. I choose to recognize and appreciate my wonderful friendships and family.
What other people think of you doesn’t really matter:
Nor should it affect how you live your life… Nor should it affect who you are and/or your self-worth and self- esteem. Because I deal with the intense sting of mental health stigma, on almost a daily basis at times, I am consistently faced with this difficult truth. I could let what others think of me, affect me to the point where I could give up completely…. To the point where I could begin to crumble as I start to believe other people’s harsh judgements. But I don’t. I made a choice a long time ago that I would keep moving forward in my life, no matter what. And when I say “no matter what”, I really mean that. For all I care, everybody in my life could judge me, but I would choose not to let that determine who I am, what I want, or what I can achieve in this life. I choose this path of self-determination and freedom of choice.
We must have the courage and strength to say… “I don’t care what you think, I am enough even without your approval”.
Kate's Niche 