What I had to go through

What I had to go through to find true self + live my best life:

-an eating disorder

-so many friends

-many boys who weren’t even good enough to break my heart but did anyways

-sports I tried but hated/sucked at

-being bullied

-becoming a bully

-burying people that I really loved

-9 different therapists/counsellors

-falling in love

-severe burn out

-achievement of “success” only to realize that it was not all it was cracked up to me

-“surviving” in-laws… that’s all I’m gonna say about that one

-moving 4 times (3 different cities)

-barely graduating high school

-years and YEARS of babysitting

-a lot of really random jobs

-becoming the 20-year-old with tons of 30 year old “mom friends”

-getting scammed out of thousands of dollars

-getting diagnosed with learning disabilities

-not talking to my dad for a while

-learning to manage multiple challenging family relationships

-cutting A LOT of people out of my life

-embracing & pulling close those who brought out the best in me

-realizing that the average job with the best boss is better than the “better” job with the shitty boss

-realizing that if you wanna reset, spring cleaning your house is the best first step

-FINALLY finding my tribe

-FINALLY feeling that sense of belonging

-being loved the way everyone deserves to be loved

-realizing that the “little things” like morning coffee, clean sheets & scented candles are actually what will make you happy

-losing absolutely everything that ever mattered to me

-hitting rock bottom, like actually hitting rock bottom

-destroying the body I worked so hard for

-insomnia

-body dysmorphia

-crippling depression

-debilitating anxiety

-making some decisions I really wasn’t proud of

-running away from my problems

-a toxic relationship

-watching people that I loved make some really bad decisions

-learning to accept people for who they are and where they are at

-losing the person I thought I’d spend forever with

-multiple nervous breakdowns

-hospitalized for mental health

-being prescribed anxiety medications

-accepting that I would forever be in therapy

-learning the power behind walking and reading

-learning to take care of my body and my mind the way that actually and only works best for me

-getting on sleeping pills

-getting off sleeping pills

-going on all the dating apps

-getting off all the dating apps

-going on some really awful dates

-going through “the childhood friend” phase

-realizing that going on girls trips is literally food for your soul

-learning that low maintenance friendships are the only friendships that will survive the distance

-learning that life is truly short & you need to have all the fun, and do all the things RIGHT NOW

-realizing that rest is a high form of productivity

-4.5 years of school to get that degree

-transferring universities in the middle of said degree

-GETTING THAT EFFING DEGREE

-truly learning that passion will always be more important than money

-a few relationships that didn’t go the distance, but meant a lot to me in their time

-lived a basement suite (loved it)

-lived in an apartment (hated it)

-buying that home & setting up those roots

-learning to embrace all that I am at my core, from the big things to the little things

-most importantly: just never giving up

The key to happiness I have found, is really within those last two points. Never ever give up, and embrace ALL that you are.

My “mom” vibes.

The fact that I will ALWAYS be a big sister first.

My larger than life personality.

My farm girl roots.

How much I love being an auntie.

My goofy side.

My glamourous side.

I wasn’t happy until I embraced it all.

There is nobody in this world like you, there is something within you that the world needs. Embrace it. You deserve to be happy.