Kids, in the Autumn of 2021, I discovered that I was relatively happy. This was a novel concept to me because you know about my battles with the black dog. Yet, somehow I was really content and in a good place.
I put this down to a couple of changes I’d made in my life:
1.Accepting my body and my hair as they were:
I’ve had big breasts with childbearing hips since age 12. My hair has been wildly curly since age 3. It took me 32 years to accept that in a family of slightly built, fine haired women, I wasn’t going to look like any of them and that’s ok. What’s more, by embracing everything that was unique about me and blessing myself with that self love, it would inspire others.
An added bonus was that shopping for my bootylicious body was so much fun, that I ended up being an amateur model for a local brand:
2. Being selective about what I consumed and with whom:
From what I ate to what I watched, read or did and who I spent time with, I chose very carefully what I consumed. The lockdown levels may have been lowered and theoretically, we could see more people but that didn’t mean I wanted to. Besides my godchildren, I only wanted to be surrounded by the loved ones who inspired, supported, intellectually challenged, loved and accepted me.
3. Keeping The Year of Yes spirit alive and well:
From channelling my inner Sherlock on a harbour wide detective hunt to painting clay unicorns and socially distanced dinner invitations in my apartment block, I was safely exploring the world once or twice a week and saying yes to new experiences again. I also remembered that there was value in saying yes to saying no so when invitations to spend time with people I didn’t want to spend time with, I said no and it was f***ing liberating.
I didn’t know how long this bout of happiness was going to last but I was determined to enjoy the art of it while it did!
