I’m going to get very honest and personal in this post. And that is scary.

Putting your true self out there isn’t easy. Making mistakes in front of an audience makes you feel naked.

But this is me.

I haven’t really put much of me or my story into my articles here because I wasn’t sure people would care. You’re all here with your own problems that you want to fix. I thought by putting too much of myself in the articles, I would just make it all about me and no one would get anything out of it.

I thought there’s no purpose in sharing the details of my story.

I think I’ve been looking at it wrong.

Making An Impact

The blogs that have moved me the most, changed my life, and that I have remembered over several years were the ones that centered around the personal story and experience of the blogger.

I remember being so frustrated with my skin at one point almost 10 years ago when I found a blog called The Love Vitamin. Tracy, the owner of the blog was so relatable. She put pictures of her acne-covered face out there. She had my problem and she didn’t shy away from sharing her amazing success but also small continual issues with her skin while she tweaked things and learned. She let us in on her journey. I followed because I liked her and appreciated her honesty and authenticity.

I want to make an impact. I want to help people who may be experiencing the same things I have.

I’ve been trying to become an expert in a matter of weeks in order to be worthy of you. I have learned a lot in a short amount of time but now I see that I don’t need to put pressure on myself to learn it all at once before I can share things. By reflecting on my behavior I know I haven’t been very balanced lately regarding my work and social life.

The truth is I’ve been burning out every week. I’m currently unemployed and broke so I’ve been working really hard on this blog and treating it as a full-time job, putting in 50-60+ hours a week on it with no money coming in. That would be fine if I was flowing with the way I do things best. But I’ve been fighting against myself and my own writing style.

Sure, I needed more discipline and focus in my life. But I also need to continue expressing myself in an authentic way. I can look up a million studies and get into scientific research and give you all of that information and it may help, but it’s not as satisfying as diving into the holistic view. It doesn’t feel as real without the context. There’s so much distance put between me and you when I approach this blog only from the head and logical facts.

When we tell our personal stories a connection is made. That is powerful. That’s what this human journey is all about.

I’m still finding that balance between surrendering to my own nature and authentic self and having command over my life and what I create so that it will have a positive impact on others.

I’m Looking For Answers Too

This doesn’t mean that I won’t be looking at scientific studies and giving the facts. I just also need to incorporate my experience and more of my story into things where it makes sense and when it would be helpful.

I don’t know everything. I’m on this journey with you. I’m discovering what’s wrong with my own health as I write all of this. I feel I’m getting closer to an answer though and I hope that this blog will help you find answers too.

Sometimes I feel really lost in a sea of information and body sensations and I’m trying to put the puzzle pieces together.

Is it IBS? An autoimmune disease? Candida? SIBO? Diverticulitis?

What are all these symptoms? What is my body trying to communicate with me? Why am I still having issues while eating a perfect diet and exercising every day? Will this be another dead-end road? Why am I working so hard when nothing seems to pay off?

Sometimes it’s enough to make me want to give up. 

But to be clear, I won’t.

What I’m saying is, don’t look to me as an authority who knows it all. I’m learning just like you. This is a collaboration.

I’m spending an enormous amount of time researching and looking for answers because I am frustrated and I just want to know how to best take care of myself. I want to make sure that I live a long healthy life. That’s the base of everything. Without my health, I’m not able to reach my life vision and make a difference.

What I really want is to help people understand themselves so that they can give the world their true gifts and reach their full potential as human beings so we can make the world a better place.

But first I have to get my body and mind back to health. The rest will come with time. I have to find the patience to stay on the slow path and let things build organically. That will make the sturdiest foundation.

Finding The Slow Path

I’m going to be making some changes to the way I write my articles. I’m sure I will stumble and spend some time finding my new voice but I will always be authentic.

I’m glad you’re here. Thank you for being a part of my journey.

I really could use some friends on the same path.

Awareness is important to the healing process. If you’re having gut issues or other health problems, in order to address them in a full and complete way there needs to be some focus on the big picture.

Take a holistic view of your life.

That’s what’s been missing from my blog and that’s what’s been missing in my own life recently. It’s been lacking balance.

It’s time to get back up and start strolling down the slow path. I need to step out of my head more and sink back down to Earth. Maybe plant some flowers along the way, climb some trees. Meet some people. Have some fun again. No more rushing to the finish line.

What I want you to walk away with here is that there is purpose in our stories. That’s what brings us closer together. That’s how we overcome obstacles and help each other learn from our mistakes.

I hope you didn’t mind me diverging from the norm today to share something important to me. Let me know if any of this resonates with you’ve had a similar experience of being impacted by someone else’s story. I’d love to hear it. Leave a comment to share!

I’m happy you could join me:)

Nicole