The Self-Care Journal

We have the power to choose what we write in the narrative we call 'our life'.

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Greetings to all, and welcome to the Self-Care Journal. My name is Abigail. While I am aspiring to be a therapist and an author in my farther future, I have experienced a lot in my nearly 30 years of life. I know the pain of having to make choices that someone should never have to, and feeling the dread of having no safety nets when you finally choose to leave. I have been through times where I traded one shattering situation for another that was equally as unexpected. I carried the trauma and weight for years. I tried therapy, herbal remedies, and pills for certain conditions to try to heal myself. None of it worked for me, at least. What didn’t destroy me as a person, I want to use to help others who need hope where it’s hard to find it. I believe that everything we want in life actually wants us, too. We just have to be in the mindset to meet it. A shift of perspective from fear to peace and from lack to abundance. Even if my words aren’t exactly what you need to hear, my hope is that they are enough to help you find your way and discover your path to your best future.
  • A Moment of Meditation

    A Moment of Meditation

    A Gentle Reminder before we begin:
    Remember, my friend, every little step is progress towards the masterpiece you are. If taking a moment to read this and giving it a try is all you can do before you are swept back into the waves of life, then I invite you to join the moment. If you cannot hold this moment long then allow yourself to take pride in what you can experience. These things are learned with time and continuation. Come back as often as you need at anytime you feel the desire to do so.

    Consider this a simple moment of opportunity that you can do anywhere at anytime: Let your mind just wander for a moment. Observe it. What thoughts do you find spiral in and out of your mind? Do you grieve your past, or do you worry for your future? Is your present mind filled with a cacophony of ‘what if’s? Is it anger, sadness, or despair? Allow yourself to name what comes up.
    Breathe, my friend, as you notice these thoughts within.
    The simple ways your mind categorizes the day to day struggles and routine. Feel how your body responds. Do you tense your muscles? Perhaps, your breathing becomes less controlled? Give attention to your responses not with judgment, but curiosity. We often hold the weight of our own pressures. In the same breath, we have the power to release that weight.
    Imagine the color that brings you joy or that you feel drawn to, breathe it in, let it fill you, let the peace in, then breathe out the excess.
    Remind yourself in the moments you can that you are more than what the world tells you to be. You are precious, cherished, and so deeply loved unconditionally. You are not alone in this world. No, you are seen and heard. You are worth more than the weight of your experiences.
    Be kind to yourself.



  • The Script of Our Life

    The Script of Our Life


    We all have a narrative for our lives…

    What if the story of our lives could be read like a script rather than a book? You see the analogies of chapters, turning a page, even shelving or burning the past. Those work for some, but I believe in a gentler approach for those who need another outlook such as viewing a life story as a script. Scripts have drafts. In those beginning, draft-like years, there is a lot of learning where mistakes are made- some big, some small, and some profound. You see them, don’t you? The moments that we wish we could redo in life. We can’t erase those moments from our minds. Not easily. When looking back, it can be easy to fall into the spiraling snare of regret and shame. That is where life can become a script. You don’t have to solidify a draft, but you can learn from it. It’s the point where the story can be altered. This rewriting doesn’t have to come from a self-deprecating place or a mindset that one is broken. No, my friend, you were never broken. Consider how an author writes; the many times they make mistakes. Mistakes are not a sign of damage or a lost cause to the author. It doesn’t have to be an insult to be in the stage of the first draft. It is the cornerstone of a masterpiece. True growth is not instantaneous, rather it is progressive. 

    In truth, you don’t have to rush into your best years. 

    Life is rarely an endurance test. It’s okay if you don’t find the answers quickly. The experience and its gifts are there to see you rise in your due time. Think of the moments when you look in the mirror and you can notice something new about yourself—that’s progress. Every clarifying moment you become aware of your patterns is progress, and every time you find joy in a song that speaks to you is progress. Just being yourself in a world so riddled with masks, even for a tiny moment, is monumentous progression. Those little moments are valuable and precious. Every bit of knowledge you gain can never be unlearned, and that’s a beautiful thing. One day, you will remember. You will know when that knowledge you gained before is ready to help you move forward. So, know that it’s okay to not have all the answers and to go for years just learning, exploring. No matter your age or place, life will always progress if you embrace it. Every draft rewritten is another step towards the masterpiece. When you hit a block, take time to sit and set the pen down. Let life flow as it will. When the time is right, you will know when the pen is ready for you to continue. 

    Remember, my friend, you are a masterpiece in the making…