I received this message from a reader named Serena and thought it was so powerful I asked her if I could share it with you.
From Serena:
If I have one Universal message for you it is this:
You are loved, supported, valued, cherished, appreciated, honoured, admired and respected. At every moment.
By the Source that holds you in love at every moment.
There is no moment here you have been left, nor could be.
You can do anything. The very best is wanted for you.
You are never alone. You are always loved.
No matter how difficult things seem, you are always being lifted up, even when you feel alone.
No matter how big a leap in life seems, you are greater than the distance you must jump.
You are free. You are able. You are complete.
Lots of love,
Serena
Coincidentally, Serena ended up leaving me this message on ‘one of those days’ when I was feeling pretty crappy and just needed to reframe my perspective. Lately, the anxiety that I’ve struggled with for many years, has started to creep back into my life and I’ve had a difficult time dealing with it on my own. Sometimes it’s anxiety about not feeling good enough or about my body; other times it’s about judgment from others or even feeling alone. If you’ve ever suffered from anxiety, you probably know that it has no limits and it can quickly impact your day to day life. To this day, I strongly believe that my eating disorder was a coping mechanism for my anxiety.
Anxiety usually breeds more anxiety which sucks. I feel more anxiety because I’m not supposed to be struggling with this anymore. I’m supposed to be past this. I’m supposed to be inspiring others. How can I do that when I’m struggling myself?
But I’m only human.
It’s easy to lose sight of the big picture and get bogged down by negative thoughts that loop in our minds, but often, all it takes is a positive message to set those thoughts on the right track again, or even give us hope that we can change. That is what Serena’s message did for me. Her message reminded me that we all struggle and even if we’ve made great progress with things in our lives, sometimes they need more care and attention once and a while.
I receive a lot of emails from other women (and occasionally men) who are struggling with accepting themselves, finding a career they enjoy, ending a bad relationship, illness/injury, or even feeling accepted by their own family. Our struggles may be different on the surface, but what remains true for most of us is that we want to feel love and support from the people that matter to us. That will never change.
And usually that love and support is already there, but we fail to see it. We fail to open ourselves to accept it. We have to be vulnerable to let love into our lives. We have to take risks to make progress.
I’ve always loved quotes. I’ve always loved writing with my heart on my sleeve, knowing that others will connect with words on a screen, in a way that I will never know. I’ve always loved the power that a simple message can have.
Serena’s message inspired me to start working on my struggles with anxiety again. But, I know that I can’t do it alone, so I’ve decided to start seeing a psychologist again to help me with some unresolved issues in my past. I’ve had great success with therapy, and I know I will again. It’s scary though- even for me who has done it before- to open up and make myself vulnerable, but I know that I’ll be just fine. I debated for a while whether I would write this post or not, but I realized that if I didn’t, I would be missing the point.
I’m sharing this with you today in hopes that it connects with you on some level, no matter what you may be dealing with at this very moment. Maybe you got up this morning and the first thing you did was examine your stomach and thighs in the mirror, cringing, while vowing to lose weight. Maybe you struggle with alcoholism, bulimia, abusive relationships, shopping addiction, or perhaps you have the life you dream of and just feel guilty over the thought that something is still missing.
The best thing we can do when we’re struggling is reaching out to another person. The worst thing is to assume that no one cares or will judge us for our struggles.
We are never alone.
~~~
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”~Ambrose Redmoon
“The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.” ~M. Scott Peck
“We are all functioning at a small fraction of our capacity to live fully in its total meaning of loving, caring, creating and adventuring. Consequently, the actualizing of our potential can become the most exciting adventure of our lifetime.” – Herbert Ottto
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{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }
Angela,
So sorry to hear you are going through these struggles. How brave and inspiring to share this on your blog…I am sure you have helped alot of people today just by writing this post.
I hope you find your sessions helpful and a feeling better very soon. Thinking of you.
Hi Angela, thank you for your blog and being so honest with the world. I have anxiety issues as well and as a result my life has been at a standstill for nearly two years. I am trying to get back on track but it is so hard to combat the negative thoughts. Anyway, I only recently discovered your blog and it has been a true gift. I can’t talk to many people about my problems so it helps to hear someone else’s story and know I am not alone. Also, I like reading inspirational quotes and return to your quotes page whenever I am feeling low. I wish you the best with your personal growth and please know that you are both helping and inspring me through your blog. x
Thank you Angela. It’s funny how often the people we believe “have it all” can be suffering from the same (at times crippling) feelings that we are personally. I, too, struggle with anxiety that threatens to cause old habits to resurge and break down my new-but-still-fragile sense of self worth. This is why I still see my psychologist every 6 weeks, to stay on balance, strong, and vigilant against the evil voices that try to plague me.
Thank you for sharing. It’s so wonderful, as you say, to know we’re not alone.
ANGI, it’s because of YOU that I started my brandnew blog that is dedicated to a healthy lifestyle and helps to guide me through the occasional difficult and dark times. http://vanillacocoberry.blogspot.com/
Your story is quite similar to mine and you inspire me everday really. I finally seem to be getting my glow back and I love it so soo much. Cravings really do stop when you are giving your body what it needs. This morning I had a delicious avocado whole wheat bagel and I enjoyed it with my heart and soul and I don’t feel bad about myself.
Thank you so much for your inspirational insightful stories.
Big Hug,
Doris
Thank you!! Checking it out now :)
You have a real gift of reaching out to people when they really need it. Thank you!
One of the amazing components of being an authentic blogger, is that you have the ability to drastically impact the lives of others while you are just sharing a letter that you received. Thank you so much for posting this letter because even though it was directed towards you from the sender, it impacts each and everyone of us. This type of blog post is so real, emotion-filled, and actually drastically improved my day :-) Keep that glow, girly!
Angela, I read this yesterday and can’t stop thinking about you and your journey. When my anxiety attacks spring up inside me I have a few sayings – “open heart and open mind” and “when I start thinking what if I fail, i ask myself what if I succeed.” These may not be for you but they might be helpful.
I’ll keep positive thoughts going your way. I’m not really into blogging or connecting with bloggers but you have helped changed the way I think about myself and food, the least I can do is reach out to you.
Thanks for all your yummy recipes and loving blog.
That was a great post! I have suffered from anxiety probably all my life. It didn’t get worse until April. I was going through a very stressful time at work, home and just in general. I finally had what I called an episode and then the anxiety attacks came. Now I am on medication. I am trying to find ways to help myself but it is so nice to know I am not alone. And neither are you Angela! :)
That was a powerful message, thanks for sharing! Positive thinking is so powerful, but sometimes it is so easy to get bogged down by our own negative voices or events in our lives..
I’m taking a “Living Effectiveley” course at college right now – I thought it would just be an easy summer course but the self anaylsis and quotes in it are SO inspirational and eye opening! I’ve only just started working through the book, but I’ve flipped ahead to the chapters on dealing with stress, and self worth and have even read them aloud to my man as he puts himself down a lot- we need to love ourselves FIRST…then the world will follow :)
It’s brave of you to share and be candid about your anxieties. Be rest assured we all have them, some days more so than others. I have found that on any day that I need a “lift”, all I need to do is pray to God for his strength and guidance and thank him for all his blessings. Works all the time ;-)
Hi Angela,
I’ve commented only a few times before but I read your blog daily. This post resonated with me especially – I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression since I was 16 (I’m now 22), and only stopped therapy this May. I’m happy to say that I’ve reached a place where I feel at peace with myself physically and emotionally, but there are always ups and downs.
My dad used to tell me that happiness is just a state of mind. While I agree, sometimes we lack the strength to clear our minds of negativity. For me, it took years of therapy and antidepressants (taken reluctantly) to gain that strength. You are already such a strong person and I have no doubts that you’ll get through this! Just writing this post proves that you recognize the issue and are determined to get through it.
What an important post, Angela. I have suffered from an anxiety and panic disorder my whole life, at times very severely. You are not alone and I hope you find peace soon.
Thanks for sharing. I am one of your fans, but never written to you. i’ll state the obvious that I love your posts, and from all the newsletters I’ve subscribed, I have a soft borner for yours. You are SO beautiful and SO dedicated and if you didn’t share anything about your struggles, I would be dense enough to assume the grass is always greener on the other side. I don’t have anxiety issues per se, but have experienced them for sometime during different periods in my 29 years. Most importantly, the reason I write to you today, is to say thanks for being so transparent and courageous. I am a vegetarian, and have been a junk food vegetarian during college, I’ve blamed my diet for some of my personal yo yo weight struggles. I am not fit today, but something that I was skeptical about and that helped me is Ayurveda, it helped me as long as I followed it and adopted the principles. In my opinion as a novice in Ayurveda, I recommend you to check out books on Vata body types, and Ayurveda and Anxiety as a certain body type is prone to a certain imbalance (which can be easily corrected.) Dr. John Douillard, who is an expert on the topic in the USA has a lot to say about how Ayurveda can help Anxiety. There are simple things you can do without even taking herbs. Goes without saying, I fully support your step to seek therapy, you must do what you feel is right, naturally. But like a PP suggested accupuncture, I also want to do my part in recommending Ayurveda as an alternative modality if you haven’t already tried it. I have no personal gains, I can simply relate and feel what you are experiencing. Lots of love and good wishes from Dubai, UAE.
thank you angela. I think thats the purpose of certain blog posts. Encouraging others even in the midst of our own struggles. It can be beneficial for all.
I think it has been a little over a month since I’ve been following your blog. By the way I absolutely love your cooking! I’ve tried many of the recipes on your site already and I can’t think of one I haven’t enjoyed.
I was waiting for a post like this to comment on because I can’t tell you how much you’ve inspired me to do something I love. I read through your eating disorder blogs and how you were extremely unhappy in your career. I felt like the same person as I read your story while I was struggling with an eating disorder of my own. I didn’t only gain the freshman 15, I gained the freshman 30. And I’ve been unhappy with my body ever since. I’ve gone on fad diets, starved myself, etc. to lose the weight. You are so right because you really are never happy with the weight you’re at, but you need to love yourself in order to be happy with the body you have. I’ve recently change my eating habits and completely changed the way I think about food. I’ve always loved food, but it was extremely hard for me not to feel guilty every time I ate. I was extremely unhappy this past year with my career choices (and unfortunately I have many people against me on this one… I wish I had all the love and support you have from your family, friends, husband, and all the readers you have).
Now I’m blogging and I can’t tell you how much a writing has always been a part of me, but I never bothered to share it with anyone out of fear that no one would like to read the content I was writing or listen to what I had to say. I quickly realized that writing is therapeutic for me. I don’t need anyone to listen to me to continue to write. I need to write about my experiences and what I’ve been through in order to be okay with myself. I definitely agree with therapy (I have been many times), but when I don’t have the money to go to therapy I write and that’s what has helped me all these years.
This morning I looked at myself in the mirror and was unhappy with my body (as usual). We are only human, but we can find the love and support from others to get through the rough times in our lives.
I am so thankful to have such a wonderful husband and sister in my life who supports me 100%. The next steps in my life are scary because I’m taking a leap of faith and I’m trying something completely different than what I thought I’d be doing for the rest of my life. It takes someone with a lot of courage and passion to go for what they love. I admire you for doing so in your own life and I can only hope to do the same with mine.
You’re not only inspiring… you are a role model for many people and I thank you for everything your blog has brought to my life personally. I don’t think words can begin to describe how you’ve changed and influenced my life already so I’ll just leave you with a big THANK YOU!
Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful comment Jennifer!
I so needed to read this right now. Thank you.
I, too, thought I was ‘better’ but keep finding myself looking in the mirror thinking nasty things about my body. Then I keep thinking ‘when am I going to grow out of this negativity?’… Such a long, slow process.
All the best with your return to the psychologist. You are such an inspiration to so many people and will never be alone.
I admire how honest and open you are, particularly when blogging can be a critical place (not just from others, but from ourselves as well)! That message was beautiful, and so is the energy you bring to your blog. I wish you the best working through your anxieties, and I hope you know that your honesty in communicating here will certainly benefit others. Continue to share your light and that gorgeous joyous smile. :)
Thank you Dreena :)
Angela, thanks for being so honest with us, and motivating at the same time. I’m sure it isn’t easy. Even though we’ve never met, I think of you as a friend, and think that you are a great person. I know you’ll get through this stronger than ever.
Yesterday was a rough day for me, too, so thanks for the inspiration. Warm thoughts your way.
dear angela,
you have NO idea how much i needed to read this post. it’s like you knew my heart when you posted this, but i know you were just being true to your own heart. thank you for stepping out and becoming vulnerable. you have inspired me to have the courage to do the same.
kelsey
I get anxious when my eating issues resurface… I get upset that it’s been over a year that I’ve been working on this ‘problem.’ One quote that helps me is one of yours i think: its a journey not a destination :)
Thank you Angela (and Serena!) for sharing this! I read your blog regularly, but didn’t see this until today. Today (after months of planning, saving and researching) I gave notice to quit my job (which is a horrible fit and has caused years of frustration, anxiety, stress and soul-sucking), so that I may take the time to re-center, focus, and pursue a new degree and new career. It’s a huge change that involves moving, ending a relationship that’s not right for me, and starting all over. This quote blessed me tremendously today, and I will save it (as I too love and collect quotes) as it will surely help get me through the challenging times to come… which are welcomed! (but a little scary at times)
And I just have to say- thank you for this website, for your amazing recipes, for your honesty and openness (which is truely inspiring) and for sharing your beautiful spirit with the world. You reach many, including me, and I am eternally grateful for you, your wisdom, and your spirit. :-) May I gently remind you to continue focusing on the positive, that always helps me in any situation.
Much love and appreciation,
Kellie
Thank you Angela. I was on the brink of making an appointment with someone- but nervous to do it. Then I read your post. Appointment booked.
One of my favourite quotes- and not really a warm snuggly one, but helpful to me anyway:
‘When you are going through hell, keep going.’ Winston Churchill
Enjoy the beautiful day today!
Hi Angela, I didn’t read the other comments but I’d like to share my two cents, hoping that they help you in some way :)
I have battled for years with anxiety, panic attacks and depression; in the past four years I’ve been making huge changes in my lifestyle, worked on my issues and done a lot of healing work. I’m definitely in a much better place than I was before, but sometimes – like you – negative feelings and anxiety come back. My first reaction is to feel frustrated, and wonder why on earth something I worked so hard to overcome is resurfacing…however this is what I noticed and learnt:
– when we start working on healing our Self, it’s like peeling an onion – we have layers upon layers, and although it feels like it’s an old issue resurfacing, I’ve noticed that the intensity is not the same. Even realising so fast that something is wrong and taking action means that you’ve shed many layers.
– we all have ups and downs. That’s how life is, the important thing is to be aware of where we are, and acknowledge that everything is temporary – negativity included!
– be gentle with yourself. Sometimes we just need to slow down and pamper ourselves for a while; when I feel particularly anxious or negative thoughts flood my mind, I try to take the day off, if I can, and either have a nap, read a good book, watch an uplifting movie, play with my cats, do breathing exercises and visualisations, or go for a long walk among trees.
– remember to acknowledge your progress. When I feel anxious, it’s not the same as when I had full blown panic attacks on a daily basis; recognising my progress, my positive changes, help me put things into perspective. It also helps me to recognise old patterns, and take action to prevent them get established again. It’s easy to forget our progresses…but try not to!
Finally, remember that our life is a journey; it flows and it constantly evolves and change. All is well.
Thank you for sharing the poem, it made my day. Have a wonderful weekend :)
Thank you for your honesty. I too have a lot of anxiety. I’ve been thinking about maybe seeing a professional and your openness is helpful. Thanks
Very Inspirational read. I love quotes also, sometimes that’s all it takes to get me thinking the right way – solid wisdom from those who have been there already.
Good for you! I know when my ED was full blast the biggest issues were anxiety (trying to fix it & gain control through something I could control – ie food and exercise) and lack of true love for myself. Even though I have healed so much in this area – I still have those moments too…I think being present and accepting the present go along way towards real self acceptance. ((Hugs!))
I have been suffering myself lately from some old feelings that seem to be reappearing these days. I’ve contemplated therapy (again, like you), but I feel like this time, I need to change and work on myself on my own for a little bit before I head down that path again (and please believe, I will head down it). I really relate to your anxiety and… “Maybe you got up this morning and the first thing you did was examine your stomach and thighs in the mirror, cringing, while vowing to lose weight” was my exact experience this morning. Thanks for sharing and being open Angela since starting my own blog, I understand how daunting the act can be.
We are never alone. There is life all around else, the spirits of the has-been and once-were surround us. The souls of events live on while everything changes. The souls of the will-be are all around too, which we must prepare for. The world is alive not just now but forever. Open your eyes to it, to the feeling of eternity and catching a glimpse of it. The present is the moment, is every moment. It is not a place but a state of being, a foreverness that draws us all together as one collective being experiencing the world and reality.
Angela,
I am SO thankful and appreciative of coming across this post today. I have been battling my eating disorder and anxiety issues for many years now and it has slowly entered my life again; and I let it thinking I was alone day after day. I really needed a wake up call and from this moment on I will remember that I am not the only one suffering. I just want to let you know how you are a huge inspiration to all of us and I praise you for all of your hard work and determination through everything that you deal with on your own. Keep it up and let’s live in the moment!
My dad passed away after a long battle with dementia. I am very alone and I want to thank you for this post.