Raise your hand if you grew up in the 90s and are an Alicia Keys fan.
Alicia has an amazing song called Underdog and there's a line that speaks to me every time I hear it:
"I was never meant to make it but I was built to break the mold."
I feel every word to this line in my bones. I grew up with privileges but I didn't play the cards I was dealt. I was like all the hard-working Millenials (or so I thought). I had a great job, an amazing circle of friends, family, long-term relationship, two cute dogs and I lived in a vibrant city. Life was so good!
My breaking point was the pandemic. I know it's cliche but I realized the life I was living was very shallow. I didn't lose my job. I could work from home. I never got sick. I had nothing to grieve other than a social life.
- When the pandemic surged and travel paused, so did my job as a Recruiter. I almost let that take me down.
- I almost let the end of a long-term relationship bring me down
- I almost let grief and self-doubt hold me back
There's much more to this list but I'll spare you. The point is, I kept going. There were days I woke up from bed, either from dread or grief or both, and just decided to get through the morning, then the afternoon then the night.
I highly recommend therapy and journaling. I didn't think therapy was made for people "like me." Therapy is for everyone. Whether it's about your grief over a break-up, job loss, losing a loved one, or going through a personal change, therapy is for everyone.
I am so glad I chose myself. I'm so grateful that I let go of my shame and picked up therapy. I feel immensely thankful that I picked up journaling again. Otherwise, this version of me would not have made it.