In the spring of 2016, things were looking very bleak for me. I was living far away from family and friends, I was working a dead-end job, and my degree was nowhere in sight. I desperately needed a change. So against all of the advice, I was receiving from the people in my life, I packed all my things into my raggedy, 2004 Nissan Sentra and drove two hundred miles home to my mother’s house.
This was an extremely hard decision. Deep down I wanted to keep fighting, but I was drained in every capacity. I knew I needed a break from all of the struggling. Little did I know, the struggle at home would be less intense, but a struggle nonetheless. My mother was against my decision and to say the least she was not happy to see me. We eventually worked through it, and our relationship is now better than ever.
Still struggling mentally and emotionally, I began to work through many of the issues that plagued me while living away. I prayed, journaled, cried and did it over and over again until I gained clarity. Looking for work in a place with little opportunity was rough. I got hired at a local retailer and began working for minimum wage. The work was tedious and unfulfilling, but it was a step in the right direction. A few months later, I was offered another opportunity that led me to my current full-time work. With each job, the pay got better! I began contributing to my mother’s household, bought a car that I actually wasn’t ashamed to drive and began doing things that fulfill me, such as writing. I had to take a step back to take multiple steps forward. Yes, it was hard and at times embarrassing, but it worked for my good. I’m in a much better place mentally, emotionally, and physically. I had to return to my foundation to build a life that I am now happy to live.
Maybe you feel stuck in a rut. Perhaps you don’t need to move back home, but may you simply need to reevaluate the things in your life that are causing you to struggle. Look for a more fulfilling job. Enroll in online classes to finish your degree. Start that business you’ve always dreamed of running. Change is scary, but so is staying in the same place. Not only did I start completely over from scratch, but I also lived to blog about it and so can you!
A mental health blog 