The last 10 years of my life have been a complete journey of mountains and valleys: Already a single mother to a son, I obtained ABD (All but Dissertation) status in my PhD program, quickly rising in my career in Higher Education to Associate Dean of Student Affairs, and then having to leave it all because of health concerns. In trying to make changes that were better for my health, I quickly realized that it was not going to be as easy as I thought based on my education and prior work experience. I experienced going through my savings…learning the 6 month savings rule was false, I needed much more than that. I found myself applying for government benefits to support my son, filing for bankruptcy and eventually working at Fedex overnight unloading trucks.

Today, I have been blessed to not only join a new company, in a new industry that has been such a blessing in my life and others. I have been super blessed to be able to start my own company, Living Invigorating Valuable Experiences (LIVE, LLC).

I’ve struggled over the years with various health issues, but have always been an advocate and strong participant in exercise and eating fairly healthy. The two major occurrences that could have taken me out and probably should have, if it weren’t for GOD, were: running a half marathon that almost killed me and requiring open heart surgery for a heart defect that I had no knowledge of, and losing my ability to breathe and being rushed to the hospital to discover multiple pulmonary embolisms in both lungs.

Today, I am perfectly healthy, I work out on a regular basis and I live a lifestyle of healthy eating and living.

– Crystal F.

The Tears I Shed

It’s the lack of stability

It’s the moving…

Not knowing where you will be living at a certain point…

Not knowing when the time at this location will seem to have expired…

Not having an answer when my son asks when would we have our own home…

Just wanting to give him a place to truly call home…

Just longing to give him stability…This is why I shed these tears.

– Crystal F.

The last 10 years of my life have been a complete journey of mountains and valleys: Already a single mother to a son, I obtained ABD (All but Dissertation) status in my PhD program, quickly rising in my career in Higher Education to Associate Dean of Student Affairs, and then having to leave it all because of health concerns. In trying to make changes that were better for my health, I quickly realized that it was not going to be as easy as I thought based on my education and prior work experience. I experienced going through my savings…learning the 6 month savings rule was false, I needed much more than that. I found myself applying for government benefits to support my son, filing for bankruptcy and eventually working at Fedex overnight unloading trucks.

Today, I have been blessed to not only join a new company, in a new industry that has been such a blessing in my life and others. I have been super blessed to be able to start my own company, Living Invigorating Valuable Experiences (LIVE, LLC).

I’ve struggled over the years with various health issues, but have always been an advocate and strong participant in exercise and eating fairly healthy. The two major occurrences that could have taken me out and probably should have, if it weren’t for GOD, were: running a half marathon that almost killed me and requiring open heart surgery for a heart defect that I had no knowledge of, and losing my ability to breathe and being rushed to the hospital to discover multiple pulmonary embolisms in both lungs.

Today, I am perfectly healthy, I work out on a regular basis and I live a lifestyle of healthy eating and living.

– Crystal F.

Power of Gratitude 

By Maurice F.

“Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” -Thich Nat Hanh

I’m staring out the window at the cactus-filled mountain hills in front of my house here in a small town located in New Mexico and within five minutes of hiking distance. Towered by its silhouette, a wonder of Nature, my eyes awakens to the presence of a rising, morning sun, expressing Gratitude for a new day. “Breathe in, and breath out”…comes in silent whispers each day that affirms grounding myself. Today I feel born again and filled with appreciation for this flesh that has endured much over the past 2 years, and yet remembers each moment as a new beginning.

          Gratitude. 

          It’s an embodiment, to me, and way of life, that honors every part of me, and everything surrounding me; a quiet affirmation of every living thing that stands before me as I stand before it. Pores of my skin breathing in grace, harmony, and spirit.

          Gratitude.

          A couple of years ago, I was faced with a challenge to my idea of Gratitude through a diagnosis of health conditions. Before that, I thought I knew what Gratitude means. Then everything about my life, both privately, and publicly, suddenly changed the meaning. It was as if I was on those New Mexico mountain hills for the past 25 years, engaged in the dance of life, when suddenly an unknown force swept me away like an autumn leaf on a mighty wind off that hill, unexpectedly, with uncertainty. Would I still be grateful for this change? Will those new health concerns ever find peace? 

          Gratitude.

          I realized: the birth of a new meaning of Gratitude was more than a word in a book, a song, or advertisement. It came alive, each day, through meditation, recognition, and appreciation for the small things as much as the big things in life. Feeling the sunlight, seeing a bird on a wire, a blade of grass, hearing the sound of children playing, enjoying the taste of fruit, have become significant silent moments, and new precious memories.

          Gratitude.

          Life feels different because it is different now. Simple acts of walking, talking, eating, thinking, playing, working, are performed differently. With Peace. Grace. Patience. Gratitude, to me now, is a new appreciation for the Gift of life, empowered by this breathing heart, and all its parts, healing themselves, singing a new song, and dancing to a new day.

GPS

By Megan M.

While driving a few months ago, I had my GPS on like I usually do because I have zero sense of direction. I was on the interstate, about twenty minutes away from my destination, and the GPS said, “Hazard ahead, you’re still on the fastest route.” It got me thinking about my own personal journey. I always continue traveling along the same route when it says this, despite the accident or construction in my way, so why have I not been applying that to my own life?

We each have our own path, some longer than others, some take all sorts of turns, and some (most) seem like we’ll never get there. I have never really paid attention to what the GPS actually says until now. It’s easy to deviate from our paths in life, especially when it gets rough. What has been comforting to me lately is acknowledging and remembering that everyone’s path is different; we make different choices and have different goals. It doesn’t look the same because we aren’t the same. What’s important is that we “stay the course,” with the belief that we will arrive exactly when we’re supposed to.

Hazards, roadblocks, and detours are a part of the road trip called life, but we can learn to welcome them and push through gracefully, knowing we are in fact on the fastest route: our route.

As we welcome the second month of the new year, I’ve been thinking of ways to be more intentional this year. I’ve chosen my word for the year: Grace. I tend to be pretty hard on myself and forget to celebrate small wins: passing up the loaded fries for a salad, taking a walk instead of staying inside when I’m not feeling myself or maybe opening the blinds instead of sitting in the dark with unwanted thoughts. I recently came across an idea on Instagram that I wanted to share. The instructions are simple, each week write down something good that happened to you or something you are proud of and keep the pieces in a jar or someplace safe. At the end of the year, open it up and see what a year you had! We are our worst critics and often forget to pat ourselves on the back. I put so much emphasis on how others receive me, that I forget the importance of acknowledging the way I receive myself. The validation from our own hearts is what’s important. So don’t forget to choose your word this year that will represent what your intentions are this year and commit to writing down your wins, no matter how big and smile. I hope the end you’ll see… you’ve been outdoing yourself all along.

– Megan M.

Though the month of May has been denoted as Mental Health Awareness month since originally selected by the Mental Health of America Organization in 1949, Mental Health remains a stigmatized topic amongst friends, family and even school systems. Dealing with mental illness is tough, draining, and can often feel lonely even if you come from the most loving foundation; it can also be just as hard for family and friends who may not know exactly how to handle it.

The fact we must understand is that mental illness is a journey for everyone involved and can be just as draining on those dealing with it as the people surrounding them. Just as people dealing with mental illness don’t know exactly how to say what is hurting them, similarly, friends and family don’t know what to say to help.

I find addressing hurt feelings head on is important. For example, it’s easy to get triggered when dealing with depression and most times people are completely unaware of how something they said can be taken out of context and interpreted in a hurtful way. It is extremely difficult to understand depression unless you have dealt with it personally and most times family and friends feel just as helpless when trying to find the right words to guide you. Just as we want people to understand how hard the battle is, we must be cognizant of how it affects those around us as well.

If you or someone you know is dealing with depression or another mental illness and having a hard time communicating with their support system, remind them that it’s a learning and healing process for all involved and everyone can use a little grace sometimes.

As a parting gift, here’s two of my favorite affirmation apps I currently use to help me throughout the day: Motivation App and IAM app

In all you do, remember to be kind!

So, this week has been a week of self-reflection, and as I ran today, I had what you might call an epiphany. Now, it would not be right for me to take all the credit for this epiphany because I was listening to an awesome podcast during my run.  I also spent the week praying daily for certain things to be made clear. In the last few months, I have been going through a tiny mid-life crisis where I am defining myself by what I accomplished and/ or the titles I have held professionally. I reminded myself about losing my dream job a few years back and then feeling lost and unfulfilled as a result. So, as I ran, something finally clicked and jolted me. My epiphany was that I held multiple positions, and I experienced accomplishments in all of them. I also experienced failures. However, I realized that neither of them define the person God calls me to be in this season of my life.

Alan Watts simplifies it for us when he stated “You’re under no obligation to be the same person you were 5 minutes ago.” And that, my friends, is the good news. Successes or failures, ups or downs, and wins or losses, God gives each of us grace and brand new mercies to be who and what we need to be in each moment of our lives. We don’t have to wrestle with what we may think is inadequate about ourselves. God makes it so that we are enough in this season and those that are to come. I encourage you to embrace who God has called you to be in this moment of your life, forgiving yourself of past missteps nor resting on your past successes either. They have no bearing on your now. Be bold in being you because you have the stuff to make it in and out of life’s seasons.

In The Day & Life