Hopeful

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'Therapy' is NOT a Bad Word!

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'Therapy' is NOT a Bad Word!

It took me a long time to admit that I needed to talk to a professional. I had come to a point in my life where I felt I had to add another ‘tool’ to keep my recovery going, and therapy was something I had been avoiding. Why? I am not too sure. Fear? Stigma? Pride? It may have been a mixture of all three, but I am happy that I finally got out of the way of myself.

Admitting that you may need to talk to someone is NOT a weakness. In fact, it has been because of my choice to see what therapy was all about that I have been able to see where more of my strengths lie. Before I chose to take this next step, I was one of the many people in the world who considered therapy to mean that something was seriously wrong with me. Oh, how wrong I was about that.

In this post, I hope to destigmatize the word ‘Therapy’ and let it be known that we should never feel ashamed about needing some kind of help. I recommend therapy to even the healthiest of people. There is nothing wrong with having an unbiased, professional opinion about our life, our truth, and our stories. We never know how beneficial something can be for us until we try it. Same goes for therapy.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate you!

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Learning to Choose Inspiration Over Desperation

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Learning to Choose Inspiration Over Desperation

5 years ago, today, I found myself in Jail Cell #11. My ‘roommate’ appeared to be a regular and very aware of the fact that I was terrified. Despite shame being a feeling I was familiar with; this was a level of shame that I had not yet experienced. Up until that humbling realization that I had put myself in jail, I had been pretty convinced that I was invincible; that I could get away with anything I set my mind to. Getting arrested was a pivotal moment in my life. It was through this time of desperation that I was able to make a step in the right direction.

Despite this incident being the motivation I needed to quit my addiction to amphetamines, the big question I was left with, was why did it always take desperation for me to want better for myself? Surely, there was another way to go about how I live my life.

In this post, I talk about the two motivating factors we all tend to lean on when it comes to making a change in our lives: Inspiration & Desperation. I beg the question of, why does desperation seem to be the most popular choice, and why is it that we wait until we are at our worst to want better? I am only speaking from experience here, but I guarantee all of us have an example of when we were inspired, and when we felt desperate. Since my arrest five years ago, I have slowly but surely begun learning how to choose inspiration over desperation. Isn’t it beautiful that we always have a choice?

Thank you for reading. I appreciate you.

People Will Only 'Show Up' When They Are Ready!

People Will Only 'Show Up' When They Are Ready!

When it comes to love, careers, passions, and just, everyday life, we are often having to balance a mixture of them all, while learning what is more important to us, and to others. All of us are moving through life at our own speed, while also, having to deal with our own unique set of strengths, and weaknesses. With that said, people are only willing to ‘show up’ in relationships, opportunities, and commitments when they themselves are READY for them.

In this post, I talk about what it means to ‘show up’ in life, and how we can become more honest with ourselves about what we are ready for, and what we are not. ‘Showing up’ for our life is just another healthy form of self-care. The sooner we decide to ‘show up’, the sooner we can rid ourselves of anything that is holding us back!

Thank you for reading. I appreciate you!  

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Plot Twist: You Do NOT Need to Have All the Answers!

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Plot Twist: You Do NOT Need to Have All the Answers!

I know I am not alone in this feeling of needing to know who, what, when, where, & why. Who I want to be, what I want to do, when I need to achieve it by, where I am meant to end up, and why I am even doing it all in the first place. I am constantly feeling this overwhelming need to know the answers to these kinds of questions, and you know what I have learned? Having all the answers is not what life is about.

In this post, I not only talk about the uneasiness I often feel about not having all the answers, but I share what has helped me the most when figuring out this journey of mine. If anything, this post will be a good reminder that you are not alone in feeling like you must have it all mapped out perfectly. By the end of it, I hope to provide you with some peace of mind because guess what? You do NOT need to have all the answers!

Thank you for reading. I appreciate you.

Megan Lawrence

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Do NOT Be Afraid to OUTGROW People!

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Do NOT Be Afraid to OUTGROW People!

A good friend of mine asked me recently, “How do you know when to let go of people?” And it truly made me stop and think for a bit. That is a good question, and it has been a thought that I haven’t been able to get off my mind since. What better way to get to the bottom of how I feel about this topic than by writing it out?

In this post, I discuss what I have learned about letting go of people through this recovery process of mine. As I took the time to reflect on my life thus far, I had the intense realization that I am still not that great at letting go, but I am certainly much better than I was in the past. When we can accept that not all connections are meant to last forever, we can move forward with the lives that we were always meant to live.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate you. 

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5 Habits That Keep Me Happy, Healthy, & Recovering!

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5 Habits That Keep Me Happy, Healthy, & Recovering!

We all need ways to cope with life. Period. Regardless of if you struggle with mental illness, addiction, or are currently in recovery, we could all could use advice when it comes to dealing with the everyday stress of simply being human. Why? Because sometimes being human is not simple at all.

In this post, I share with you the habits I swear by when it comes to staying sane in a crazy world. I incorporate them into my everyday life and they have proven to be beneficial in getting me out of a rut, spiking my serotonin (happy chemicals), and keeping me in recovery!

Thank you for reading. I appreciate you.

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Dear Readers,

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Dear Readers,

This week I wanted to do things a little bit differently, and write a letter to, well… you; the one reading this; the one who has somehow found this page. You are a huge part of the reason why I continue to put myself out there, and just by clicking that ‘read more’ button, you are supporting me in more ways than you will ever know.

In this post, I open up in a different way and I get the chance to say how I feel to those of you that are reading this. Every single one of you is a reminder that I am not alone, you are not alone, and together, we can make the world that much better.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate you. 

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10 Reasons Why We NEED to Be Talking about Mental Illness!

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10 Reasons Why We NEED to Be Talking about Mental Illness!

This past week was Mental Illness Awareness Week (October 1st – 7th), and if you have been reading my articles long enough, you know that I would never pass up the opportunity to talk about it. So, when coming up with this week’s title, I decided that it would be best to discuss why we should be talking about it ALL THE TIME; not just on specific days, or weeks that are designated to the topic.
 
In this post, I go over 10 major reasons why we need to address the elephant in the room, and why we need to be more accepting of the illnesses so many people are affected by on a daily basis. It’s important that we educate ourselves on what we may not understand, and treat all people with kindness because you never know what they are battling.
 
Thank you for reading. I appreciate you.

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It's A Hopeless Time to Be A Hopeless Romantic!

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It's A Hopeless Time to Be A Hopeless Romantic!

Dating in this day and age has become much more complicated than it needs to be, and it certainly has changed drastically in the last 10 years alone. Whatever happened to being able to strike up a conversation with a stranger, or letting someone know how you feel about them without playing games? With online dating apps becoming the social norm, it has become a difficult time for 'hopeless romantics' to find that good old fashioned story you now only read about, or see in movies. 

In this post, I talk about some of the frustrations I have come across with dating apps, and I provide a positive perspective for those who may be feeling a bit hopeless. 

Thank you for reading. I appreciate you.

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Gaining Followers for Losing Weight: How My Online Presence Fueled My Eating Disorder!

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Gaining Followers for Losing Weight: How My Online Presence Fueled My Eating Disorder!

I was about to be a Junior in college when I woke up one morning and decided I no longer liked feeling depressed about the girl I saw in the mirror. So, I changed. Almost as if something just flipped in my brain, I stopped making poor food choices, I increased the amount of exercise I was getting, and I created a “Fitness” page on Twitter to track my journey. It didn’t take long for the pounds to come off, and the followers to flood in. What my followers didn’t know was that the secret to my weight loss was no longer built on a desire to be healthy; it was based on the fact that my behavior was compulsive, and filled will a need for control.
 
In this post, I share the truth behind the girl who had all her followers fooled, and I open up about my personal struggle with a compulsive exercising eating disorder.
 
Thank you for reading. I appreciate you.

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Fear Has Been Lying to Us This Whole Time!

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Fear Has Been Lying to Us This Whole Time!

We are all familiar with the feeling of fear, and at one point or another, we have allowed that fear to hold us back from our growth. Whether that be taking the plunge into a new career, ending a comfortable relationship, or moving to a new city - we have all questioned if we are capable of doing something we have never done before. 

In this post, I will discuss the importance of challenging those fears that we create in our minds, and I provide examples of how facing my own fears has changed my life for the better. Fear is a LIAR, and it is about time that we stop listening to it. The life you are meant to live is right on the other side of that fence we have allowed fear to build.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate you.