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
Thanks for sharing this Angela! My eating disorder, too, was a coping mechanism for anxiety, and every time I feel any anxiety creeping back in I always have to stop and look at what’s going on in my life to make sure I don’t let things spiral out of control again. It’s all about checking in and being honest with myself, I find :) Good for you for sharing this- an honest person will always be more inspiring to me than a “perfect” one!
Have you read The Mood Cure by Julia Ross? A few amino supplements could be all it takes to relieve your anxiety. I read the book and cured my sleep problems and SAD in a week taking 5 HTP.
Thank you!
I love this! Thank you for posting. So uplifting and simple.
Hi Angela! I am a frequent reader from Michigan. I have followed your blog since January and have always wanted to comment about how much I love your blog and how much it has helped me. This just finally seems like the perfect post to do it. I want to let you know how much you and your writing and your recipes have helped me. I struggled with an eating disorder for 6 years and it reigned my life up until a four years ago. The healing process has been long and hard…few steps forward and a couple steps back. Finding your blog in January was a HUGE step forward. To see someone be so raw in their writing and describe in words exactly how I have felt for years comforted me. Your recipes have made me feel strong and healthy and have given me happiness in the kitchen. This post comes at a particularly good moment for me-it was something I definitely needed to hear. I graduated college (I think you guys call it university up there) in May and have lived with my parents for the past two months until I move to North Carolina in two days to start my very first job of my career. Being back at my parents house has put me face to face with a lot of the things that caused my eating disorder and it has been really tough. I have been having a lot of anxiety about my body and exercise and eating and moving to a new state and starting a new job. This post just reminded me to keep working at it. It reminded me to show myself a little compassion. Thank you Angela for writing and posting. Thank you for being a major inspiration in my life!! Thank you.
Thank you Theresa!
Thanks so much for sharing! You’re so inspiring :)
Angela, I wish you the best of luck with therapy again. I can’t recommend therapy enough! It never ever hurts to have someone extra to talk to with no bias at all. I emailed you the other day about birth control but told you of all the healthy things I work on and I always include therapy in that list and I think I said I have been going for 4 years but I just counted and it’s 5 years! I have no intention of stopping either!
Keeping a healthy mind and out look, to me, is no is no different than going for a run or decided to eat the right thing. It helps me feel balanced and in control.
On my blog I share what I learn in therapy openly and recently wondered if that would hurt or help my blog but in the end it really doesn’t matter because with out the help of my psychologist who knows where I would be right now and I choose everyday to get the help I need. I am so glad that you are being open, as you always are, and getting the help you want/need.
:)!
Thank you so much for this post, Angela. It truly made me feel as though I am not alone. Considering I originally came to this site because of a Google search about gardening, I’m in awe of your openness and you have really inspired me. I look forward to your future posts–about food, gardening, or whatever you choose to write about!
awww glad you found the blog too!
You are an amaing woman, an inspiration and a caring soul. Thank you for sharing your story and making yourself vulnerable, for the sake of helping others….That is truly selfless. You encourage the best in me and others every day. xoxo
“I’m supposed to be inspiring others. How can I do that when I’m struggling myself?”
You may not know it but by sharing your troubles, by writing with your heart on your sleeve, you inspire us in ways that no “perfect” person could. These struggles allow us to identify with you, understand you, and calm some of our own fears. Your writing helps to normalize struggles that often seem daunting or unique/strange and allows us readers to say, “Hey…someone this beautiful and happy and successful still struggles with the same things…not because she is pretentious or fake or wanting attention but because she is GENUINE and AUTHENTIC.”
And thats what so many of us keep coming back, day-in-and-day-out.
<3
Thank you for this honesty. I have a million changes coming up in life and it stresses me out greatly. Thank you for reminding me that it will be ok.
Thank you for your wonderful post. It’s been one of those days for me too.
Thank you so much for your honesty and brave post Angela. You’re certainly not alone in your struggles; thank you for reminding the rest of us that we’re not either. Best of luck.
“The worst thing is to assume that no one cares or will judge us for our struggles.”
Exactly what I needed to hear today. I usually visit your blog every day but I’ve been away from it for over a week now. During my own times of struggle, I shun away everything that is good for me (friends, family, online support!). Today I clicked on the link and was reminded of why I keep coming back.
It is hard to open up, but it is so so important. Thanks for the reminder (and inspiration).
Such a beautiful post! It takes a lot of courage to write a post like that, so stay strong and post Serena’s message on your fridge as a reminder of your goals and strength!
PS I LOVE LOVE LOVE your chilled chocolate torte it was perfect for the holiday weekend! Thank you so much
glad you enjoyed it!!
Dear Angela,
I am an avid reader of your blog! I fell upon it one day & have continued to read it religiously. I have been struggling with Anxiety for a couple of years now. I was an Impatient at the Center for Change for awhile & was released a few months ago. You truly are an inspiration to me. I know it’s easy to get caught up in the Anxiety. It feels like it creeps up on you without warning.. but I know if you will stay positive through this time it will only strengthen you. My counselor at the Center for Change is always reminding me that my problem is not a food problem.. It’s so much deeper. It’s a matter of self worth. But the truth is you wont have more friends by being thinner. Your family & husband wont love you more. You wont have a more successful blog. The people in your life who really matter love you for who you are. They don’t care how thin or not thin you are. I hope you know how amazing you are & how great of an example you are to me & to girls everywhere. I know it’s hard right now, but if you will take this as a learning opportunity it will be a blessing in your life. You truly are never alone.
xox Ellen
Thank you Ellen :) Very true words!
Like many of the readers commenting before me I also have struggled with anxiety. Its a horrible horrible vortex that can suck you in and paralyse you.
I was having a rough day and your post made me realise that I am not alone. I hope things start to get better for you, thanks for posting this
What a beautiful post. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for your posts. I relate so much to all of your stories. I hope one day I can get to a point of peace and honesty where I am able to recognize what I really need. I’ve come far but there is so much further I need to go. One brand new day at a time!
connected : )
thank you.