Being #Natural...what does it mean?
Surely it’s something we all strive for on a daily basis anyway, isn’t it? Or maybe not!
When we are ill and caught up in the darkness of a mental health ‘condition’ it can be easy to forget who we are. Whether we are depressed, anxious, have an addiction or are gripped by the claws of an eating disorder the illness can take over our lives. As we become more ill, we lose our perspective on everything going on within us and around us . . . as we forget who we are, being #Natural becomes more and more difficult because we can’t remember who we were before we got sick.
That’s why part of recovery means rediscovering ourselves, learning self acceptance and becoming who we are truly meant to be.
The old phrase “Fake it til you make it” is one of the hardest, yet bravest parts of recovering.
When we can’t remember who we truly are, what we really like or how our lives could potentially be it can be challenging to want to #RECOVER.
Why would we be motivated to work towards something that is unpredictable and brings with it uncertainty?
What if our illness was a result of hating ourselves, our environment or even our entire lives?
How can becoming natural help us ease our pain or steer us towards the right path?
Because it involves us going on a journey of self discovery!
So what if we have to “fake it” in the beginning. That doesn’t mean we aren’t being real to ourselves, simply that we don’t remember who we were before we got sick. And who cares if, as part of recovering, we become someone different. Different doesn’t have to mean being bad; in fact change can be a sign of growth and self acceptance...a sign that as we become more comfortable with ourselves we are transforming our lives into something meaningful again.
Being #NATURAL during recovery is about finding ourselves again. It’s not about being a perfect person with a perfect life that is full of happiness and wonderment every day. No! Perfection is an illusion manufactured by film makers and card writers, a dream we chase that causes stress and anxiety all by itself and which is impossible to find.
"Never fake yourself just to look perfect because perfection is never real and reality is never perfect."
(Fatima)
Instead learning to be #NATURAL is about finding a way of life that is right for you, a way of life that brings you inner-peace and most importantly makes you want to enjoy life once more.
It’s about being able to trust in yourself to be able to make decisions that are right for you.
It’s about realising that what you have been through is just a small part of a much larger journey – a journey that can take you anywhere if you have the courage to keep fighting.
Being #NATURAL is about self acceptance. We all have flaws. We all make mistakes. And yes, there will be times in life when we will make wrong choices that might cause us to fail. But that doesn’t mean we have to give up. No, instead we go back to our core character traits of being #STRONG, #TENACIOUS and #RESILIENT. We pick ourselves back up, dust ourselves off and learn from the experience.
Remember, we’ve made it this far! We’ve recognised we needed help and been strong enough to ask for it.
We’ve realised how long and difficult the road ahead is and yet we are tenacious in our quest to reach the end.
We have fallen multiple times and been resilient enough to keep fighting.
And throughout the entire journey, so far, it has felt like we’ve been on an emotional roller-coaster.
But look where we are now? We’re at a place of learning. A place of exploration. A place where as we become comfortable with ourselves a whole world of opportunity opens up to us.
Being #NATURAL is an enlightening experience that is as unique as each one of us is. So be yourself...don’t be who you think everyone else wants you to be. Just be you.
You are good enough, and good enough is enough!