It’s been a good few months since I posted anything on here. Since moving back to the UK from Bali in March, I’ve felt uninspired to share anything. I actually completely lost my confidence in sharing my thoughts for a while. Moving back hasn’t been an easy ride and my mental health has been all over the place. I guess I felt like a bit of a hypocrite, sharing my thoughts on mental health when I’ve actually been struggling with my own. I told myself that no one wants or cares to read anything I write, but actually, it doesn’t matter if they do. Sharing on here is something that I like doing and if it even helps one person feel less alone then it was totally worth it, and actually sharing my authentic experience (the good and the bad) was what I wanted to do when I started this blog anyway. So here I am, writing out my inner thoughts again, and if you’re reading this then thanks for hearing me out!
I started feeling the pull to write a new blog post a few days ago and I was originally going to write about how I’ve been feeling since I got back to the UK – lost, confused, struggling to make enough money from my online freelance work and considering going back to the ‘daily grind’. But when I got up this morning and went for my daily (well, sometimes daily) morning walk, cup of tea in hand, I put my headphones on and pressed play on the most uplifting podcast episode I’ve heard for a really long time! It was Dr Edith Eva Eger on The Marie Forleo Podcast and it inspired me to put a more positive spin on this piece.
Edith lived through the Holocaust. She is an Auschwitz survivor. She wrote her first book when she was 90 years old and today, at 92, she has another two books on the way. She is also a highly educated and talented Psychologist. Can you imagine a more inspirational woman? Not only this, her book ‘The Gift’ is about how she chose to see the good in every day, even when she was going through hell in Auschwitz. She talks of being dragged from her home, separated from her family, watching her mother burn to death and being forced to dance for her life, literally. She was told she was ‘cancer to society’ and treated in ways we can only imagine today. Yet still, she chose hope and compassion over suffering and anger. Every. Single. Day. She reveals how she managed to feel pity for the people who did this to her and that true freedom can only be found in not letting anything break your spirit.
I don’t know about you, but this makes me feel kind of silly for making such a fuss about Covid now. This woman survived truly awful things – things I can’t even comprehend – so I think we can make it though this pandemic. Suddenly, not being able to shop without wearing a face mask or go to the pub with more than a group of 6 doesn’t seem so bad at all. Although, I’m not belittling the struggles that people are facing because of our current situation. Edith also speaks about how comparing suffering is not helpful. Acknowledging suffering is so important, and all feelings are completely valid. But Edith shows that it is possible to overcome suffering, and even find the gift in it.
Something else Edith said in the interview, really struck a chord with me: “most people are not hungry for food, they are hungry for affection”. To me, this rings so true. We are all hungry for affection and love, when you think about it, it’s the only thing that really matters in this world, yet we are all so afraid to give it out and receive it. So tell someone you care about that you love them, give your friend a hug (not exactly social distancing I know, but whatever), reach out to the person you haven’t spoken to for a while, give someone a compliment and smile at every stranger. Life is too short for insecurities. Give as much love as you can and receive it back with open arms.
So, if you’re feeling a bit down in the dumps today, remember this amazing woman’s strength and let it help you find your own. The strength of the human spirit never ceases to amaze me, the things we are able to overcome. No matter who you are and what you are going through, choose to find the gift in it. And if you have the time, listen to this incredible podcast episode with this unbelievable woman.
anxiousgirltravels 