Reach within and reach out!

I recently had some of my ideas put to the test, and by that I mean some ideas I had written awhile back were recently published, viewed and reviewed. I questioned momentarily if I still feel or think the same way now. A lot has changed in the past 8 months. Does this ever happen to you? 

I share my thoughts pretty freely, often out of an emotional place, it's just the way I am wired I think!? I do try to be thoughtful about who my audience is, but sometimes my writing is just an expression of who I am and it's for me.  I don't always agree with what I said or thought before - it's called growth! When I reflect back, I can see how I have changed. Circumstance and context affects us all differently but also in a lot of ways the same. At times I feel alone, I get low, I have doubts, I question the way things are, and at times want to close myself off from everything. But, ultimately, I never give up, and over the long haul I continue to see the world with a positive lens and develop resiliency, grit, determination, empathy, and love. 

There are two main things I do consistently to keep a positive mindset, which might seem to contradict each other, but I see them as interconnected and very helpful:

1. Taking care of my heath. Prioritizing time for me and being active and spending time outdoors is what grounds me. At times I need to shut out all the noise and busyness, and just take a deep breath. When I am alone, with my own thoughts, I re-center and can be more present again for others. 

2. Reaching out for help. Talking about how I feel and sharing my thoughts with trusted people who are close to me and within my networks has been a tremendous support. I am lifted up and find encouragement to move past barriers and struggles, sometimes in my own thinking, and this challenges me to be a better version of myself.  

We all need time to be alone and we all need to seek out support from the people who are close to us. Whatever you do when you find yourself in a tough spot and want to retreat, my advice is to reach within and reach out!