How many times have you begun something, only to let it slip away? How many ideas have you had for projects, only to prevent yourself from actually beginning?
Feelings of self-doubt creep up on us from every angle, and I’ve spent a long time allowing those little monsters to hold me back. Fear has prevented me from speaking up when I’ve been unhappy. Anxiety has told me that I’m not good enough, no matter how intelligent and creative my mind is.
One of the things I enjoy most in this world is writing. Just expressing. Writing to share what’s on my mind and in my heart, in hopes that it allows others to know they are not alone in what they’re going through.
But what happens? I get this idea that starting a blog needs to be this extravagant thing. Nah, man!!! It’s just words on a page. Just start typing. People have asked what it is that I’d like to create a blog “about.” The truth is that my message will always come down to mental health and overall wellness, and these messages can come from so many different stories and topics. From fitness to food to past experiences, it’s all tied together.
We put so much thought and pressure on ourselves to go all in on one thing, and we let the other aspects of our lives slide right by. In the end, we’re left feeling incomplete or trapped or anxious or any other negative feeling/thought pattern you can imagine. The truth is that we just need to allow ourselves to be human. We are made of so much more than the workout clothes we wear or the smiles we post all over social media.
We are relationship, community, thought, feeling, action, faith, and energy all rolled into one. And wow, if we aren’t letting ourselves just LIVE, we are going to find ourselves in a pickle. It’s happened to me so many times. And maybe the fact that I’m 23 weeks pregnant is just opening my eyes to what life really is and what it means (I’ll never truly find all the answers!), but I’m at a point where my life experience and my drive to feel ALIVE is pushing me forward.
So what does this mean for me, specifically? Well, you’re reading these words right now. You’re staring right at these paragraphs I have started in my head over and over again for the last, uh….couple of years? And gosh dang it, I’m done keeping everything in my head and not sharing.
Maybe it means I’m going to use this platform to talk about books I’m reading, past struggles and triumphs, fitness, mental health, and nutrition. Actually, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. And I’m putting it out here, for you to read, knowing that someone might cling to the things I say and hold me accountable.
Now, for the rest of this fine Labor Day weekend spent on a mountain, I’m going to be reading…sketching…writing…and letting my soul catch fire more and more. Restoration at its finest, folks.
How are you going to take action this weekend? How are you going to START something?
Love & light
-Brittni
Brittni Stephens 