When I turned 50 last year I went in feeling hopeful that this could finally be the year where I would find my way to a better place in my life but instead as the curtain quickly draws to a close on my 50th year and a new chapter awaits me in the not so distant future I am left to reflect on the year that was and if truth be told I’m actually feeling pretty darn defeated right now and almost as though I’ve let so many people down, including myself along the way; and if I’m to be completely honest, 50 has undoubtedly turned out to be the hardest year ever for not just myself but for Rich as well. 

But as that curtain quickly draws to a close on my 50th year and knowing that I can’t change what’s in the past I will instead anxiously turn the page to a new chapter this week and try to embrace it with that same hope I felt almost a year ago and with that same promise I made to myself last week to put more trust in God (https://youareenough712.wordpress.com/2022/06/17/bitachon-hebrew-trust-in-god/) by placing my heavy burdens and worries on God and allow God to protect and watch over me and my family by trusting that things will work out the way they are supposed to.

I would also like to take the opportunity to share with you today a list I created of 50 things I’ve learned in the first 50 years of my life (and one for good luck). Many of these lessons learned have just been over the last year. 

1. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

2. People you love may disappoint you sometimes.

3. Listen more and listen with intent.

4. Actions speak louder than words. 

5. No one is perfect. 

6. Life is fucking hard. Cherish the moments that bring you joy.

7. Write down everything before you forget.

8. A hug can melt your heart. 

9. You can never go wrong being kind; be the reason someone smiles.

10. Change can be good.

11. Breakfast for dinner is the best.

12. Patience. Strive to have patience. 

13. Show gratitude always. 

14. No one is ever THAT busy.

15. Things can get worse. 

16. Nature is truly magical. 

17. Guilt and shame are the heaviest burdens to carry.

18. It’s okay to not be okay.

19. Family matters. Count your blessings.

20. Surround yourself with genuine, caring people.

21. Say you’re sorry, but only if you truly mean it. 

22. Have forgiveness in your heart for those who have wronged you; it can be very healing.

23. When someone shows you who they really are, believe them. 

24. Self-care is not selfish. 

25. Laughter truly is the best medicine. 

26. Bitter people will never be happy for you.

27. It’s okay if you fail. Making mistakes leads to learning.

28. Find your purpose and run with it.

29. Appreciate simple pleasures.

30. Not everyone is going to like you and that’s okay.

31. No one is immune from pain and suffering.

32. Sleep is overrated.

33. Not everyone will understand the journey you are on; surround yourself with people who are at least willing to try to.

34. Don’t let the mean girls or bullies take up space in your life.

35. Always make room at the table for one more. 

36. Read more. Sing off key. Dance like no one is watching.  

37. Self-advocacy is an important tool to have.

38. Don’t suffer in silence. It’s okay to ask for help.

39. How many chances is too many to give someone?

40. Having a mental illness is real and not a character flaw.

41. You’re never too old to chase your dreams.

42. Wear comfortable shoes and drink lots of water; your adventures will last longer and be way more fun. 

43. Follow your instincts, honour your intuition, go with your gut even if no one else is willing to go along with you.

44. It’s okay to create healthy boundaries for yourself. 

45. Show your vulnerability; it’s a strength.

46. Empathy and compassion go a very, very long way. 

47. Give back more than you take.

48. Be nice to strangers. You never know what struggles they may be going through. 

49. Eliminate negativity from your life.

50. Keep finding meaningful ways to learn and grow. 

51. You are enough. You are not alone. 

💖 always,

Kim 

What lessons have you learned that you could add to my list?

#fiftylessonslearnedinfiftyyears #curtainclosed #mentalhealth #mentalwellness #youarenotalone #youareenough #trustingod #aurevoirtofifty #lessonslearned #oneforgoodluck #nextchapterawaits #askforhelp #bekind #familymatters #yourmentalhealthmatters #bevulnerable #empathyandcompassion

Jacob walked in the door at 5:45 this morning after driving more than 18 hours home from a music festival in Tennessee where he’d spent the better part of a week living it up in the great outdoors with his friends as though they were at Woodstock.

He arrived home just in the nick of time to unload my car which he had borrowed for his road trip as it is more spacious than his own car, only to have Rich and Hannah load it back up again an hour later with all of her camp stuff (which literally included pretty much everything but our kitchen sink) so that she could get to the buses in time for her latest departure, this time for the summer to her home away from home!!!

#offshegoesagain #summertime #firstdayofsummer #campnbb #alumni #homeawayfromhome #campismentalwellness #peterpan #headofpaddle #Bonnaroo #Tennessee #musicfestival #livingtheirbestlives #myanxiety #sleeplessnights

There are no words to describe the heart-wrenching reality that this poor mother is facing yet again today after losing her father and 3 children to a drunk driver in September 2015 and now her husband to suicide just one day after Father’s Day. 

My heart bleeds for this beautiful family. Their story touched the lives of so many in our surrounding communities and I will continue to hold a special place in my heart for the Neville-Lake family as they once again begin to grieve the pain and devastation of another tragic and senseless loss of life at the hands of this selfish ass murderer, who was pathetically granted full parole in February 2021. 

No one deserves to endure this much pain in one lifetime. 

Our justice system is beyond broken which is something Rich and I found ourselves talking about just yesterday afternoon as we drove by our beautiful brand new local hospital that bares the name of (his) family right on the front of the building since they had donated millions of dollars to its construction. It actually sickens me.

*If you would like to help stop drunk driving, support those affected by drunk driving or if you are in need of help yourself please call MADD Canada (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers), 1.800.665.6233

Canada Suicide Prevention Canada, 1.833.456.4566

#tragic #devastating #stopdrunkdriving #madd #suicideawareness #senseless #mentalhealth #yourmentalhealthmatters #family #itsoktonotbeok #rip

https://lm.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftrib.al%2F83at6QO&h=AT1R5UUzIsicpposVvHhaL6JuFzqI7fSc4vAtHdC5mCvI9j6WdLVH6w7ZdOCwJcOxLyZWWtx3jxLcK_gNWUpE_zNuAhSRc3KZ2bkdwfRZgnGimjOsDiujW-R9BubDcZS5UeF

Even with my faulty DNA you’ve managed to raise some pretty terrific kids 😁. 

I’m so in awe of you for your strength to keep hanging on as tight as you can to that rope on the side of the mountain, never letting go of it, selflessly making sure that the kids and I always make it to the top safely first.

We love you to the moon and back ❤️, forever and a day!

#happyfathersday #summerofrich #mentalwellness #climbingmountains #holdingon #familyfirst #familymatters   

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog about the importance of self-advocacy and what an important tool it is for all of us to acquire at some point or another in our lives. https://youareenough712.wordpress.com/2022/05/20/the-importance-of-self-advocacy/

Last Saturday night I had an MRI. A few days earlier I had an EEG which my Psychiatrist had let me know showed some type of abnormality but I would need to wait for the results from the MRI first before the Neurologist could make any conclusive analysis. 

When I originally went to see the Neurologist a month ago he told me that as soon as I receive my scheduled dates for both my EEG and MRI I should call his office (or email them because they never fricken answer their phones which I’ve had to learn the hard way) to book a follow up appointment for about 10 days following them to discuss the results. So last Friday I did just that. Or tried to at least.

I tried calling the office first, no one picked up and you can’t leave a message either so I emailed the admin to try and make my appointment. The Assistant who works hand in hand with the Neurologist and who had also done part of my original examination called me back. I was already feeling on edge knowing that my EEG had shown some “abnormality” and told him I was going the next evening for my MRI and as per the Dr’s request I wanted to schedule my follow up appointment. He said to me not to worry and that as soon as they receive the results of the MRI he would call me to schedule the follow up. I was upset and confused, after all I had just been following the Dr’s orders to schedule an appointment for approximately 10 days after my tests were to be performed. 

Yesterday, late afternoon I decided to just check in with the clinic to see if maybe they had received the MRI results seeing as the EEG results came back within a day. I was anxious. I called a couple of times, they didn’t answer! So I emailed the assistant to ask if by chance he had the results, I know they are busy and even though he had promised to let me know when they arrived so I could book that follow up, which had he just done the previous week like the Neurologist had first discussed then I wouldn’t be venting right now and would have been none the wiser because a few minutes later I got an email back from a nurse in the office informing me that yes my results were in and that both the assistant and the Neurologist were out of the country and that they will get back to me upon their return in about a week to schedule a follow up.  

That’s when I lost it. My blood pressure probably went through the roof. There was no intent to call me as soon as my results came in because they’d be out of the country when they did!!

I was pissed and the nurse quickly knew how pissed I was too. None of this was her fault but she was now caught in the middle. None of this had to have even happened had the assistant just allowed me to schedule the follow up appointment like I’d originally been told to do. I wouldn’t have known my results were sitting there or that they were out of the country. 

By the end of our email exchange late Friday afternoon she had slotted me in upon their return for this coming Friday at 3pm. 

Self-advocacy is a necessary tool to acquire. And for now, further to the blog I posted yesterday, I’m going to put my trust in God! (https://youareenough712.wordpress.com/2022/06/17/bitachon-hebrew-trust-in-god/)

#needtovent #selfadvocacy #mentalhealth #mri #eeg #Psilocybin #research #clinicaltrial #labrat #trustingod

My emotions have been on high alert for several weeks now. My anxiety feels like it’s eating away at my insides and the thoughts of suicide have consumed my every waking moment. 

I’m exhausted and overwhelmed most days (and nights); yesterday being no exception but in the late afternoon just as I began to spiral deeper and deeper into that abyss, Rich and I happened upon an extremely kindhearted, patient, friendly, older and very wise Orthodox Jewish man. He had a long white beard. 

I can’t get him out of my mind.

I have said many times before in my writings that I have never truly believed that God actually exists at all but still, over the past few years I have slowly begun to open my heart up to a more spiritual journey with the help and kindness of a few individuals in particular where I have been able to find some really meaningful ways for me to embrace the strength of God. 

Knowing very little about me or Rich from our brief encounter yesterday (which did involve some tears on my part) our conversation quickly turned to God and when the extremely kindhearted, patient, friendly, older and very wise Orthodox Jewish man with the long white beard saw how emotional I’d become he asked me if I knew what the Hebrew word Bitachon meant. I of course did not. He then proceeded to explain to me that the word Bitachon translates from Hebrew to English to mean “trust in God”. Upon a further, more in depth explanation, a recommended reading of “The Gates of Trust” and with some reflection on my part I quickly realized that maybe what I’ve needed all along (and Rich too!) is to actually trust more in God.

In general I have a difficult time trusting people of late, which is probably because I used to trust too easily and over time it’s come back to bite me in the ass too many times to count. I also know that in general the majority of people aren’t good at trust either, it can be quite challenging. My guess is that also includes with God. 

God is in every one’s life whether we believe it or not and maybe yesterday was a sign from God that I need to learn to trust in her more in order to get me to a better place. I’m willing to go along for the ride with God; what other option do I even have at this point anyways? I am ready to put the effort in to develop a trusting relationship with God and have faith that if I lean into God more, if I place my heavy burdens and worries on God and allow her to protect me and watch over me that I am trusting that things will work out the way they are supposed to.

And why not let God carry my stressors for a while?

There is a quote (and my apologies because I don’t know where it originated from) but I do believe that yesterday can be summed up by this one quote. “We don’t meet people by accident. They are meant to cross our path for a reason.”

Yesterday was no accident. Yesterday I crossed paths with an extremely kindhearted, patient, friendly, older and very wise Orthodox Jewish man with a long white beard. He introduced himself to us as Michael or maybe he said Moses?

#shabbatshalom #trustingod #bitachon #Hebrew #quotes #anxiety #overwhelm #depression #suicideawareness #mentalhealth #youarenotalone #youareenough #moses #thegatesoftrust

I just finished delivering a few copies of my children’s book “Where Did Mommy’s Smile Go?.

I am filled with so much love and gratitude each and every time I get to sign a copy of my book for someone who purchases one from me and I’m always hopeful that at the same time my family’s heartwarming journey could be helping another family, caregiver or loved one cope with and understand an illness they cannot see while reassuring a child that they are safe, loved and most of all not to blame for their loved one’s Depression.

Starting today until June 23rd (my birthday) I will be donating 50 % of proceeds from each book sold to #CMHAYork (Canadian Mental Health Association) in support of #MOBYSSinmotion which is a wonderful and confidential mobile walk-in-clinic that offers free support, a safe space and resources for our young people (ages 12 to 25) who may be facing a mental, physical or sexual health crisis right now. *Mobyss is staffed by a nurse practitioner, youth mental health worker, and peer support specialist.

Feel free to private message me or email to youthareenough@gmail.com for your signed copy today.

To learn more about Mobyss in Motion please visit: http://www.mobyss.ca

#wheredidmommyssmilego #autograph #childrensbook #labouroflove #withgratitude #muchlove #mentalhealth #youareenough #youarenotalone #itsoktonotbeok #startaconversation #ouryouthmatter #yourmentalhealthmatters

@canadianmentalhealthassociation

Last night I had a lovely evening attending my first ever networking and spiritual healing group @ “The Healing Cooperative”. These groups are run monthly by a dear friend and this just so happened to be the first in-person session in over 2 years. 

I was thrilled that another dear friend of mine tagged along with me as well last night to share in the experience. I also made many new and special connections with others in attendance whose stories really resonated with me as one by one we all went around the room and shared a piece of our own personal journey and passion for holistic and spiritual healing. We also heard inspiring stories from other individuals who have turned their passion of holistic and spiritual healing into a profession, many of whom, like myself had at one time or another been at a crossroads in their life. I spoke briefly about my passion and purpose for blogging, advocacy and writing my children’s book as well as my more recent spiritual and holistic journey I’ve been on.

Before we began sharing our stories we were each asked to pick 2 random cards from a deck of “OH Cards”. One card had a word printed along its edges and the other much smaller card had a painted picture on it. These cards are used as storytelling and imagination prompters, creative communication aids and therapeutic tools in both counselling and social settings. 

I chose first and immediately upon revealing my cards to myself I felt an overwhelming sense of defeat. It almost felt laughable in my mind. I didn’t want to share my interpretation with the group. I couldn’t see anything positive in the word “disgrace” or in a picture of a clown who was seemingly staring at me with a big smirk on its face and pity in his eyes; that was however until one of the guests in attendance (who happens to also be a psychotherapist) helped me see my cards in a whole different light. 

Yes, disgrace is a word which is used to describe shame and stigma, two very painful words that along my 8 year journey have often made me feel so unworthy and broken but upon further reflection last night though I suddenly realized that the word was chosen by me as a gentle reminder of how much I have worked over the last many years to destigmatize mental illness and help both myself and others feel less ashamed about living with one. And then suddenly I also saw the clown in colour and not in darkness. I suddenly saw his bright yellow shirt as energy and healing and his smile signifying silliness and fun. The rose coming out of his hat which I hadn’t even noticed upon first glance suddenly represented my growth and his big goofy green bow tie with a tinge of blue wrapped around his neck suddenly didn’t feel so smothering but instead shouted creativity, confidence and purpose. 

Suddenly I thought to myself “OH” now that’s more like it!

What is the first thing you notice when you look at my cards?  

#thehealingcooperative #holistichealing #spirituality #shame #disgrace #endthestigma  #mentalhealth #mentalwellness #clowningaround #networking #makingconnections #therapeutic #sharing #healingcircle #youarenotalone #startaconversation #itsoktonotbeok #youareenough #blogger #advocacy #childrensbook #author #mondaymotivation

Let’s celebrate our “Class of 2022” graduates and let’s continue to celebrate all our young people each and every day. Whether your child made the honour roll this year or barely found the strength to maneuver their way through another difficult school year, together, lets gently remind them that they are enough, that they are all worthy of love and recognition and that now more than ever they need to be celebrated for their perseverance and resilience.

Thank you again to everyone who helped contribute to this year’s Graduation lawn sign initiative, bringing the total of funds raised in the last 3 years to over 16k for youth mental health.

🤗😘

*Kids Help Phone is always a phone call or text message away, 24/7
1.800.668.6868 or text TALK to 686868*

#letscelebrate #ouryouthmatter #yourmentalhealthmatters #mentalhealth #mentalwellness #youarenotalone #youareenough #graduationday #resilience #youareworthy #perseverance #classof2022 #kidshelpphone @agentlereminderproject

*May be triggering for some*

I had another really bad evening last night and as my anxiety began to escalate and the tears began to fall I was led into another very dark abyss. It felt claustrophobic and I just couldn’t find my way out. 

I feel as though I am having more and more bad days of late and that the stress and overwhelm in my life right now are really taking a toll on both my body and mind which in turn are also creating uncontrollable flare ups at times from the many physical issues that I’ve been dealing with for the better part of two months now since taking part in the clinical research trial on April 2nd. I feel like I’m in a constant fight or flight mode and I don’t know if many people can truly understand how tiring it can be to have to put on a brave face while pretending to be okay half the time or to try and stay strong when you are so close to the edge.

I have not shared with too many people to what extent I have been suffering right now physically as some of it is really quite personal and difficult to talk about but I will say that some days are extremely unbearable for me and I am scared. 

As I mentioned a couple of days ago in my blog:  https://youareenough712.wordpress.com/2022/06/07/5782/ I had an EEG done as requested by the Neurologist under my care and I have an MRI scheduled for this coming Saturday night at 11:50 pm as first steps into the investigation process. In the meantime I had an appointment with my Psychiatrist this morning and he did inform me that he had already received a copy of the results of my EEG. He said I would need to speak with the Neurologist further (as Neurology is not his expertise) once both results have been calculated in order to get a full picture into what is going on but he wanted to let me know that a part of the EEG test did show some abnormalities (he gave me the technical term for it, which of course I googled right away). 

For now though as I anxiously await my MRI appointment on Saturday night I will just continue to put on a brave face while pretending to be okay and try to stay strong!

#eeg #mri #neurology #clinicaltrial #Psilocybin #treatmentresistantdepression #mentalhealth #mentalwellness #itsoktonotbeok #strength #youareenough #braveface #wheredidmommyssmilego