“You will have ups and downs but believe anything is possible.”–Geraint Thomas
Where does the time go?
Where have I been?
Where are the new blog posts?
Finally, after much anticipation…your favorite blogger is the back!
Five whole long months have gone by, and I have been trying to figure out what to say about my hiatus. Life happens and it happens hard sometimes. These last few months have been challenging to say the least.
I would like to think we have built up a great rapport. One where you the reader and me the writer have a little dialogue twice a month or so about any and everything so now that I have returned, I want to fill you in on my absence and what to expect for the future of the blog.
Over the course of the past few months, I have experienced a series of transitions and transformations.
When I started this blog, my goal was to grow in my writing skills and connect with people all over, creating a community with sharing my thoughts with the world.
Rest assured, I haven’t lost sight of my goal, I just had to take some time off to refocus and regroup.
Now that I am in a better space I have decided to return for good with consistency and better content. I look forward to continuing my journey with you all who have come to love my blog and understand that life can get the better of us sometimes.
HEALTH MATTERS
I want to emphasize the importance of self-care and managing your mental health, especially for people of color. It should not be taboo to discuss mental health. Being sick is more than just catching the flu. What one may think is being lazy may be depression causing an inability to move and keep going. We must as a community do better when it comes to acknowledging mental health.
Health overall is important, but mental health is something a lot of us are still learning about. Too many people still suffer in silence and struggle with confiding in others about their emotions and mental state. Just because someone “looks fine” does not mean they are okay.
You never know what someone is going through just by looking at them. I can speak from personal experience; the outer appearance can be a smoke screen. The stigmas still exist surrounding mental health and they continue to keep people from understanding the reality of it.
Mental health is real.
Depression is real.
Life is real.
Life can be hard especially with the current events taking place from the cost of living going up, homelessness, and other hardships people are undergoing a lot these days.
I know mental health can be hard to talk about especially if you feel uncomfortable sharing with others. Naturally, when I go through issues, I am used to keeping it close to the chest and battling it out by myself. This method is not the best because I will isolate myself until I feel better, yet I tell myself I would rather go through it alone and not burden anyone with my issues because people have their own problems they have to deal with.
We shouldn’t have to go through things on our own. We should be able to rely on our support groups. It’s important to have safe spaces where we can express ourselves and emotions without being shunned or judged.
Allow yourself some time to self-reflect and do not be afraid to seek help.
In the past few months, I have had to take time to self-reflect about the direction my life is going in and where I want to be in the future. That has led to me leaving opportunities, people, and places that do not serve me.
Knowing your worth and taking care of yourself is so important. Your life is worth more than any money you will ever make. I have come to realize that your health is really wealth. After experiencing some depression after personal battles, not taking enough time to care about what really matters, I had to take a step back and focus on my health.
I am in the process of securing my future, building my career, and continuing the never-ending journey of falling in love with myself.
Again, Sorry for the wait, but I cannot stress enough how important it is to take time to focus on you. Don’t forget to take care of yourself as well as make time to check on your STRONG friends/family who may seem to have it all together, because you never know what people are truly going through until you talk to them.
If it was not for the people who cared about me, my faith in God, and inner strength…I do not know how I would have made it back to myself. I am so ready to shift gears and get back focused on achieving my goals in life which starts with my love of writing.
It is not easy, but I am pushing despite challenges that come my way they are only temporary setbacks, so I refuse to give up on myself. Therefore, as long as I am alive, I will continue to write, so it was only right I come back to the blog and finish what I started. Also, I realize I still have something to say, and that a lot of people enjoy reading my work, so I owe it not to just myself but to you as the readers who have awaited my eventual return.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out to me to check on me and the status of the blog. I appreciate everyone who has been there for me throughout these months as I figure out and navigate a new chapter in my life, as well as those who have not taken my absence or silence lightly.
Every kind word and piece of advice I have been given has motivated me greatly to pick up the pieces of my life because it truly is worth living. Thus, allowing me to return with resilience and confidence. Now I can continue be true to me, allowing me to in turn be true to my art.
I want to go into chapter twenty-four and 2023 with more completed published writing under my belt. I am holding myself accountable for no longer dropping the ball and staying as consistent as possible when it comes to my art.
I would love to hear from you all about what kind of content you would like to see, and what previous blogs you love, and where do you see this blog going next. I know I want to expand and revamp The Creative Spotlight series by interviewing more creatives. I have a lot of plans for the new era of blog posts, and I hope you all will continue to join me. I have so much more up my sleeve for you to read and enjoy.
So, stay tuned and be on the lookout for the next blog post because it will be here shortly.
Lastly, cheers to more blog posts, more life, and love.
Welcome back to The Journeyverse!
