Welcome to Grow Authentically: an online resource and guide to help you on your therapeutic journey
Welcome back!
I guess we can call this blog post # 2.5. I thought it might be useful to spend some time and explain the meaning behind Grow Authentically. Take you on some of the journey… an evolution if you will – of how we got to this point.
So let's set the mood for storytime.
First things first: for those of you who don't know the song I reference in my title, please look up Frankie Beverly and Maze, the song titled “Joy and Pain.” You want extra credit? I suggest listening to the song now. Actually the album...it's a whole vibe. You're welcome! As far as I'm concerned, the 70s decade was and still is a whole vibe. And even if that song isn't your thing, I highly recommend reading the lyrics. And just so we're clear, if the song doesn't move you at all...I'm low-key judging you. LOL... I'm teasing. For the rest of you, embrace the (feels)! Now back to the real point I was supposed to make before I lose you. Grow Authentically was created out of a place of joy and pain.
For some of you, this concept of joy and pain might resonate right away and no further explanation is necessary. And for others, you might be thinking “Huh…? You lost me. What the heck does this have to do with naming your blog Grow Authentically?” In short, it has everything to do with it! I never thought I would be a therapist, and I definitely didn’t think I’d be blogging about it. As a child, all I wanted was to be rich LOL. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answers would always change to choose the career I knew would make me “rich.” It was simple. I wanted money. And I didn't want to be a superstar or billionaire rich. Think of the Huxtables from The Cosby Show for reference. I wanted to grow up and be like Claire. Claire was the goal. And now as an adult, I realize they weren't rich at all, though it's all relative right?
Like many of you, I've been on a journey to creating a full life that is more joyful and peaceful. At the core, it is just living unapologetically as myself and helping others to do the same. I know that I am not alone in saying that in recent years I’ve experienced some major losses. And the losses taught me some things. I have become very intentional about writing/documenting more and getting into a few other things that are beyond my comfort zone. We'll call that - healthy growth. What does healthy growth look like for you? If you have experienced any form of healthy growth for yourself or witnessed it in others, then you know that as the Frankie Beverly and Maze song says....there are no flowers without sunshine and rain. And in my case, Grow Authentically is a flower that bloomed with some sunshine - and a lot of rain.
To stay with the analogies here, there are many beautiful types of flowers…
tons of variety!!! We all don't want roses! Heck, we all don't need roses blooming in our gardens, either. So although there are tons of wonderful resources for personal growth and inner healing - some of which I plan to share with you, there is no one size fits all. From a desire to write more, provide tangible resources, and help more people get their much sought-after inner healing... this blog was born.
So here we are: growing authentically.
And just like my practice, the name of this blog was inspired by family - and our group chat, at that. The week I decided to create this blog, quite a few of my relatives shared their own thoughts on self-acceptance, being enough, learning, and growing. Really. We talk about this kind of stuff in our family group chats! (To be honest, we’d talk about a lot more if there wasn't going to be a paper trail, LOL). Anyhow, that day my cousin made a comment in the chat about the importance of being authentically yourself. And then it hit me, Grow Authentically. And the rest was history.
With the phrase in my head, and a pen in my hand, the writing began later that week. I never thought it would go this far, and yet here you are reading this post. Blog or no blog…the path to healthy growth is an interesting journey. It can involve laughter and tears, joy and pain, bitter and sweet, and so much more. It's layered and complex because humans are complicated. And guess what? It should be. Lasting growth...inner healing, should be authentic right?! The joys and pains of growth are truly lasting when they come from a real place.
My hope is that this blog will provide just a little sunshine and rain to help you bloom your own flowers of inner healing and peace. Will you let us be a part of your journey? Full transparency - we'd be taking the journey together :)
Are you ready?
In future posts, you can expect more therapeutic resources, tools, and stories. Thanks again for traveling with me and stay tuned for more content. Finally, if you find that this is helpful to you, please share it with a friend.
Until Next Time,
Growing, Authentically…
Looking forward to the journey!