This past year has really done a number on me. The short story is that I lived in a toxic apartment for six years. Environmental mold is no joke and a very serious health concern as it literally attacks your central nervous system and immune system. My body was really suffering on a biological level and couldn’t take the added grief when my mother passed away last November. Around this very same time I chose to break up with a beloved friend. By the end of 2018 I was D.O.N.E. Absolutely done with it ALL.

Done with my business. Done with my living situation. Done with my life as I knew it.

I purged most of my belongings, gave up my car, packed up my bare essentials (including Mr. Buckley Perkins of course) and got the hell out of Dodge. I sought refuge with my dearest friends and family because I knew that was the only way I would survive.

I knew that if I didn’t do something drastic, I would kill myself.

Now, four months later, if I squinted hard enough, I can kinda see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s faint, but I can see it! And I’ve got my eyes focusing hard (well, as best they can for 40-something-year-old eyes, lol). Over the years, I’ve always talked about getting knocked down, and rising again. It’s been a common theme in my life. But this knock-down nearly killed me. This one was extra tough.

It’s been MONTHS of trying to understand these hard times. In truth, it’s been a few years that I’ve been struggling, and I guess in some ways I needed to hit rock bottom to get the learnings.

The exciting news is that I hit rock bottom! And now I’m beginning the climb up and out, finding my way to a new (and even better) version of myself.

What I’m learning:
·     We ALL hit rock bottom at some point…and it’s a beautiful opportunity if you choose to see it that way.
·     While it may feel really bad, I know that God (or Spirit or the Universe) is trying to guide me on a better path.
·     Life truly is happening FOR me.
·     The struggle is REAL…and is essential for me to become someone bigger, better, happier and stronger.

Can you relate? If so, let me know. Because what I’m also learning is that…

My struggles are not unique to me. Many other women are struggling too in their own unique ways. And yet, no one seems to be talking about it! I noticed that it wasn’t always safe for me to tell people that I was struggling. I found myself feeling cautious to be honest about my story. And this only made me feel even more isolated and misunderstood.

It didn’t feel safe to tell people that I was struggling. And I know that other women feel the same way. So I’ve decided to do something about it.

The struggle is real! And, here I’m going to share with you some of the steps that I’ve used to get out it.

Step 1 State Your Struggle
Grab a journal or a trusted friend and STATE exactly what you’re struggling with. State what is bothering you. Exactly WHAT are you upset about? WHAT is bothering you right now? This is something I do almost daily and it helps me to feel empowered because I am owning what’s up!

Step 2 Identify Your Values
What is important to you? What are the priorities or values that mean the most at this time? For example, my current top three values are 1) Health 2) Conversations with God 3) Helping other women. Then, once you know what your values are, you know what actions to take each day. If you are clear on the things that are most important to you right now, you’ll know what things to do each day, and which to things to avoid. If health is my number 1, I make sure that my actions each day reflect this. This is why I have stopped drinking alcohol, prioritized sleep and cut back on caffeine. It’s really important to TAKE ACTIONS each day that support your value list.

Step 3 Strength Train and Eat Right
You can’t expect to feel emotionally or mentally strong if your body isn’t physically strong. If your blood sugar is unstable, you’ll be unstable. I believe that a strong healthy body on the outside translates to feeling well on the inside.

1.    Strength Train consistently 3 times every week
2.   Eat using my system of macros in order to stabilize your blood sugar and balance hormones.

If you follow these three steps consistently, you’ll start to see yourself climbing out of the rut. The struggle lightens, and you’ll feel more empowered and optimistic about the future.

This is the system that I have been using to help me move into the next chapter of my life. These are the steps that I follow each day to start moving out of the struggle and into my strength.

Please, if this resonates with you, leave a Comment below. I suspect that I’ll be creating more resources for you related to this topic, and I’d love to know if this helps.