Mourning Sickness! Shedding The Old Version of Yourself For The New!

Personal growth means leaving your old self behind. In 2022, we refer to personal growth as 'leveling up!' In biblical terms, the new self is what God so desperately wants us to transform into. My own journey to my new self has been in the works for years. My parents have always encouraged my brothers, sisters and I to make mistakes, heal and grow in the areas that needed extra attention. It was not until I became an adult and started living on my own that I gained a sense of independence that would come with hardships and pain. In order to heal from the trauma that we all experience throughout life, we must find a way to acknowledge that it happened. We then have to take the necessary steps to work through, heal and be a light for the next person in pain. That is exactly what I want to do with my story and testimony. So many people are still hurting from things that happened to them years ago. Some people just cannot move past the pain. 

So, I would like to give you guys some tips on what I did to overcome the painful things I have been through in order to get to the new 'healed' version of myself! 

1. I pray without ceasing.

2. I seek out therapy.

3. I have had a consistent church home for about 6 years now.

4. I have walked into my calling.

5. I remain positive.

6. I speak life.

7. I take care of myself.

8. I eat a balanced diet.

9. I keep my mind fresh by reading and writing every single day.

10. I surround myself with people who love, cherish and want the absolute best for me.

11. I challenge myself.

12. I have as much FUN and LAUGH as much as I possibly can!

Is Decluttering Self Care?

Spring cleaning is a time where we go through our homes and clean from top to bottom. We get rid of the old and bring in the new new! But as I grow older, I find cleaning to be so therapeutic. Throughout my life, I have invested in many different forms of self care. I find that decluttering my spaces helps me to de-stress and improve my state of mind. I clean my surroundings every day. We live in an environment where just about everyone is stressed out about something. Life moves so much faster for all of us. At one point in time, not too long ago, I was SUPER messy. I did not take pride in the things that God gave me to take care of. At one of my old apartments in Virginia, I lived alone. I had so many bad habits! I would cook a meal for myself and not wash the dishes until the next day! Also, I would wash clothes, put them in the dryer and carry them from the dryer and plop them down on the floor. They would sit there for days. Such incredibly bad habits. Important pieces of mail and other significant documents were always lost and buried up under a pile of mess. There was some depression going on in my life during those times of neglect and poor self care. My self care habits have improved tremendously. I take excellent care of myself and my mental health now! My mental health is a priority now!

The Marie Kondo tidying method has become the blueprint for cleaning in today's society. Her minimalist style of getting rid of the clutter has taken a national platform. She has created a brand that everyone can relate to. Everyone knows what it is like to have too many of something. Although I have not really followed Marie Kondo until now, she inspires me to understand the correlation between my level of cleanliness and my mental health! They really go hand in hand. You cannot have one without the other. I remember watching a sermon from one of my favorite pastor's a few years ago when I was in the market for a new car. He said, '...why are you looking for a new car when you don't even take care of the one you have now!' That stuck with me! From then on, I began my cleanliness self care regimen. Cleaning your space can improve your concentration, attention, focus, happiness, lowers anxiety, and improves productivity!