Have you reached a point in your life where you thought, “WTF! I can’t take this anymore!” Unfortunately, it takes most of us to reach that point before we’re willing enough to make the change required to release the stress, tension, and frustration that goes along with hitting our breaking point.
Why is it that we can’t stop repeating the same mistakes over and over and expecting different results? Why has stress become such a normal part of our daily lives? Why don’t we do something about it sooner?
We continue to hide the secrets we think people will judge or shame us for, do what society tells us is “best,” and settle for a life that doesn’t fulfill us! We turn to fad diets and quick fixes and deprive ourselves of experiencing a short-term reward that we think will lead us to a long-term solution.
I can’t tell you how many times I said to myself that if I only lost forty pounds quickly, it would motivate me enough to want to live a healthy lifestyle forever. I would tell myself this would be the last time I would do a low-carb diet, juice cleanses, or eliminate all sugar. We trudge this journey of shame, deprivation, and quick fixes, then find ourselves right back to where we started before finding what we thought was the solution to all of our problems.
We remain in relationships that don’t serve us, hoping that if we please the other person enough, they may one day meet our expectations. Or even worse, we have a fantastic partner, and as soon as the honeymoon period is over, we grow distant and find comfort in someone else’s arms to have our emotional needs met instead of expressing them to our partner. (I’ve experienced both sides of this scenario.)
Since getting sober, becoming vulnerable, and always striving to learn more about myself, I have learned that to open our hearts and love more deeply, we MUST first turn inwards and love ourselves. We can’t give what we haven’t got. I also had to start getting real honest about who I was and how I felt because hiding my secrets caused many unhealthy behaviors and patterns I desperately wanted to get rid of.
At the age of fourteen, I turned to drugs and alcohol. This began the journey of avoiding my truth. I started to suppress my feelings because I grew up in that “suck it up” world where showing your emotions was a sign of weakness. The reality was that I drank because of my inability to handle my emotions. I was uncomfortable in my skin, terribly shy and not only was I crushing on boys back then, but I was also crushing on girls. (A secret I would keep locked up tight for the next 32 years!)
I’m sure my secret around being attracted to women contributed to my wanting to numb my feelings with alcohol and drugs at an early age. I felt like I couldn’t be myself, fearing what others would think. This makes me sad because many others have turned to something to numb their feelings because they, too, have felt they would be shamed for sharing their truth.
Your drug of choice might be food, sex, gambling, shopping, social media, or even thrill-seeking activities. When we hit the point of, “WTF, Now What?!” we often turn to something that will allow us to escape. At least that was my experience.
If there was a way to feel understood, fulfilled, and heard in your relationship without having to change your partner would you want to know about it?
If you could share your deepest darkest secrets with someone without the fear of judgment or shame, would you?
Would you do it if you could release unwanted weight without depriving yourself?
If there was a way to wake up every day knowing what the f*ck you want out of life and how to get it would you want it?
So many people I talk to have no idea what they want out of life, or even if they do, they have no idea how to get it. I used to be one of those people. I woke up every morning doing the same thing…settling for a life I thought would eventually make me happy. Sadly, doing all the “things,” our society tells us we’re supposed to do didn’t make me happy.
Well, there is a way to wake up excited again, and it’s pretty simple…not easy, but simple. Here are a few things I have done in my life.
Discover your purpose
Give yourself a reason to wake up in the morning. Discover what gets you excited and do more of it. There are also health benefits to discovering your purpose, including increased well-being, increased resilience, and decreased ill-being. Not only that, but when you start doing what you love, you tend to show up better for those around you, so it’s a win-win!
Develop a Mindfulness practice
Learn to be present at the moment. Dwelling on the past and worrying about the future brings more stress and anxiety. Why focus on the things you have no control over anyways? Learning to be in the moment can help alleviate unwanted stress, and adding meditation practice to your daily routine can help you become more mindful.
Get honest with yourself
We are as sick as our secrets…I heard this in early sobriety, and it resonated with me. It’s a terrible feeling when we feel we must hide something. When we don’t allow ourselves to be authentic, it can harm us in many ways. I’m not saying we have to share everything with the world, but we don’t have to carry the shame from our past. Surround yourself with those who give you a safe space to be you! Find your community.
Resources Are Available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.
