HealthyBea

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

A few times after I posted a weekly blog article, I soon after received concerned messages from loved ones. “Just read your blog post. Everything okay?” “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Smile!” I wasn’t automatically sure which ones to which these individuals were referring. I inquired and re-read each one identified, only to leave thinking, “this seems normal to me, I wonder why they are concerned.” 

But then I considered if perhaps the honesty that I bring to these posts is at times a bit too intense or personal to disclose. Perhaps the expectations I place on myself and hope to use to empower others aren’t “normal.” Maybe I am revealing too much about the worries and thoughts that run through my mind daily. I started doubting whether I should continue writing if the underlying tone of my work has begun to take a darker turn, even if my intention is always to leverage the difficulties to encourage myself and others. 

As I write today on my 1st wedding anniversary, I am reflecting on the everyday joys and challenges I bring to the relationship with my husband. My “good days” when life is flowing and seemingly optimistic, as well as the inevitable “bad,” where I can’t seem to reverse my sadness, stress, or anxiety. And similar to my approach to wellness, I am constantly trying to improve the good and decrease the bad. But as a human-being, I also have to be honest and understanding with myself that moods, energy, and happiness do ebb and flow. 

I would be lying to myself, to my husband, and to my readers if I pretended this isn’t the case. I write to be sincere, to be candid, to be motivational, to let others know they aren’t alone. Sometimes I also need to know that I am not alone in my thoughts, fears, and stresses, so I hope my truthfulness offers you some sort of solace. 

As my husband and I were driving from the Athens airport to our accommodation in Peloponnese recently, we full heartedly agreed that humans would be happier if they practiced gratitude more often. Personally, thanking God for my mind, healthy body, friends, family, job, food and physically comfortable living conditions always puts my stress into perspective. I am not saying it always solves whatever worry I have going on that day, but it helps. I know we all have unique life events for which to be thankful, but we can all find room to appreciate the small gifts, especially during the particular phases which aren’t operating in our favour. Especially when we aren’t feeling optimistic about them. When our minds are spinning. When it all feels too hard. 

Just as committed relationships outstand the bad and ugly, and embrace the good, so will my posts. I will continue to cling to the truth, share my personal challenges, and offer the tools I utilize to work through them. Selfishly, it allows me to analyse my situations by slowing down to write as eloquently as I am able. It offers me the space to find the positive spin or result in every difficult circumstance, but also to proactively discuss what brings me joy, satisfaction, and fulfilment. I hope that this insight is able to translate to an uplift of some sort in your life. 

Thank you for giving me the space to dissect my life through writing. I hope that the good you read ultimately outweighs the bad and ugly. That’s my goal in life, anyway. And I pray that you’re able to experience the same. 

You got this, we got this. 

Much love,

Bea ❤