It’s been awhile. This is probably the longest time I’ve taken away from Bright-Eyed Joy, and even though I initially felt super guilty about not keeping everyone in the loop about my life, I needed the break. The transition from college to a full-time job was WAY more difficult than I anticipated. Not only did I graduate, get a job offer, and move to NYC all within three weeks, I also started my dream role as a Digital Strategist for Black Girl In Om. This is all amazing, no? It was, but what I wasn’t ready for was the transition from being a college student into adulthood. The amount of challenges I’ve dealt with and overcame in the last 3 ½ months was more than I was prepared for. As a Chicago kid, I thought moving to a bigger city like New York wasn’t going to be that bad. Oh y’all, was I wrong.
I slowly slipped into autopilot, scheduling almost everything into my calendar two weeks in advance and then letting my trusted Google Cal lead the way. Some great things came out of this, like a consistent workout schedule (shoutout Classpass!) and a suddenly very busy social life, but I knew that between all the social time with my new friends, working long hours, trying to muster up brainpower for my side gig, and exercising like crazy, I was depleting myself in a major way. I wasn’t necessarily depressed, but I knew I wasn’t my complete self. I also felt like I didn’t know diddly squat about self-care, wellness, and a healthy lifestyle anymore. So of course I’m over here like, “how am I going to teach other people about wellness if I don’t even feel well??” Thus began my unintentional turned intentional break.
But I’m back now, with a renewed sense of purpose and joy. I’m grounded in the notion that happiness is a choice, and actively seeking out experiences that replenish and fulfill my energy are the move from now on. The sun is shining a lot more these days, and I’ve made conscious efforts to set aside time for myself to breathe, to journal, to love on me. It’s been a process, and I’m sure it’s not over. Either way, my journey and this new chapter are just beginning and I am present with renewed purpose. I am awakening again.
For the next four weeks, I’m going to be writing about a personal struggle and the struggle of many women I know: body image. Look out for part one coming soon, and in the meantime check out my OG Black Girl In Om article I wrote two years ago on accepting our bodies as perfect. Body love is the new and permanent wave for me, there is no other option, and I hope you’ll join me.