Before getting into this week’s topic I’d like to acknowledge the fact that this series has been ongoing for 100 consecutive weeks! 🥳

I’m so proud of the Mental Health Monday series & all the topics I covered.

When I started this project I didn’t envision it would go this far but I single-handedly created a self-care club for myself & others.

I’m so thankful for my readers & listeners, the support for this series has truly been unmatched!

The fact that I’ve been able to share pieces of my story & be this vulnerable is amazing but the fact that you guys can relate lets me know that this series was completely necessary & needed.

When I started the series I was in a totally different space…

Looking back it’s a little painful to remember where I was when I started it but it’s beautiful to see the growth.

For the final week of the Mental Health Monday series I’d like to discuss confidently changing.

Confidence is believing in yourself & your capabilities.

Being able to confidently go after your goals or make changes is something not everyone can do.

The other day I was reminded that what I do isn’t for the faint of heart & that it takes courage to really go after your dreams even if nobody understands.

I’m so grateful I get to live the life I’ve always wanted, where I can work for myself & take care of home.

Being able to further heal & transmute traumatic energy has helped me become more confident as I continue to change & evolve as an individual.

Confidently changing has allowed me to better lead myself & others, it’s allowed me to trust my inner-knowing without second guessing myself, it’s broadened my perspective, & has allowed me to better extend grace to others, being more compassionate in my approach.

Confidently changing requires growth & also takes time, but it’s transformative in many ways.

Confidently changing is knowing that you have the skills & positive traits necessary to face challenges & deal with difficult circumstances.

It’s knowing that you’re your best resource.

Throughout this series my goal was to not only create a safe space for my readers & listeners but to always encourage them to push themselves forward by self-sufficiency.

Every topic covered for the past 100 weeks has discussed some form of self-sufficiency & I want to leave that with you all today because as much as society & capitalism rely on our neediness I’d like to think I’ve left you with timeless gems to turn back to throughout this series to help you sit with your feelings of neediness & create better boundaries.

Being a lending hand to others & accepting a helping hand are apart of confidently changing but so is relying & trusting ourselves.

One thing I learned that I wasn’t so privy to prior to writing this series is that in times of stress, grief, sadness, anger, or depression we can always come back to self & not claim the dis-ease we feel & experience.

Coming back to self is the only sounding board you need to validate you & your ideas.

Never lose sight of self in any mission, whether that be financially, emotionally, romantically, or platonically.

Continue to take up space, show up wholeheartedly, & keep yourself in the center of everything you’re apart of while being integral.

Everything starts & ends with you.

As I close out today’s topic & end a series that’s been going on for almost 2 years, it’s bittersweet…

I’m so proud of myself & you all who’ve challenged yourself during this time.

It’s been a journey thus far & will continue to be.

Remember that healing isn’t linear, there will still be ups & downs because that’s just how life goes, but it also doesn’t mean that you aren’t deserving nor willing of change or healing.

When you’re lost, try to remember why you started in the first place.

Positive education always corrects error & I hope you take these tools with you & apply them where necessary in your life to better inner-stand yourself & others.

Although the Mental Health Monday series may be coming to a close, that doesn’t mean my activism ends here.

After celebrating the 1 year anniversary of MML RADIO, I wanted to elevate the station & incorporate a little more meaning behind it.

Music is an outlet many of us use to express ourselves & while a years worth of curated playlists have set the tone for different occasions, szns, & feelings, I want to actually vocalize some of those thoughts & feelings we have that make us want to listen to music at all.

If you’re familiar with me, you know my writing has been the start of my entrepreneurial career a decade ago, from there I merged into fashion, & for the last year I’ve somewhat tapped into music by creating the MML RADIO station.

I’m proud to announce that my lover & friend Réva & I have joined together to discuss various topics that affect us & our mental.

Intent Talk is a segment & safe space held where we are intentional in all things discussed.

The playlists I now curate will be themed by the topic we choose to discuss each week.

This time around we’re providing vibes & perspective & we look forward to taking callers & requests during the segment.

To partake: download the Station Head app, create your free account, & follow us! – https://share.stationhead.com/8cLl7OE9tYq

Join us every Friday at 4:44pm via Station Head! 🎙️

Thank you for sharing this space with me, it’s been an absolute pleasure! 🫶🏽

⁃ MML

This week I’d like to discuss how to properly have a conversation.

Sometimes it isn’t so much the things we say but how we say them.

Conversations can turn left real quick if we’re not careful in how we speak to others or if we aren’t aware of what we’re saying.

Surely everyone has misspoke at some point or another, we’ve even been the one to hurt someone’s feeling by either being careless or reckless in our approach.

We certainly know how it feels to be on the opposite end of that spectrum as well, feeling hurt or disappointed by the things others may say to us.

Today I’d like to focus on the habits to break away from when having conversations with others to avoid the miscommunication that often occurs when this is done.

Habits to avoid are:

⁃ Interrupting

This can come across as you not being interested in what the other person has to say or how they feel.

⁃ Story-Topping

This can easily shift the conversation from connecting to competing.

⁃ Bright-Siding

Although this may not be your intention, always encouraging others to look at the brighter side of things can come across as you invalidating how they feel in that moment.

⁃ Being Right

This often creates discord between people because it’s an ego-based response, this can have the conversation turn into proving points & winning the argument at hand, it can come across as very belittling.

⁃ Being All-Knowing a.k.a. The Know-It-All

Surely nobody likes a know-it-all & having the mindset of knowing all things is also an ego-based approach, it shows you’re not open to other perspectives & aren’t teachable, this approach in a conversation typically involves explaining information without being asked for your opinion/ expertise.

⁃ Advising

Sometimes people come to us for a listening ear, advising others isn’t always warranted unless asked because oftentimes people are just looking for comfort, empathy, & compassion.

If a conversation becomes too overwhelming, triggering, or upsetting, you have every right to express your discomfort & choose to end the conversation if you feel necessary, however… sometimes we need to have uncomfortable conversations in order to move forward or address the things that have been bothering us.

Uncomfortable conversations are never fun to have but it’s the respect that’s had when we’re met with differences that really speak to someone’s character.

If you find others dumping their problems onto you without asking permission, correct the behavior so it does not become a habit.

It’s important to uphold boundaries in order to communicate properly.

Keep in mind the things you say & the impact your words may leave behind, try to remain intentional in all of your conversations.

We cannot change how others may speak to or about us but we can control our responses & the conversations we partake in & initiate.

⁃ MML

This month we’re discussing ways in why wellness matters & is important.

Wellness is much more than merely physical health, exercise, or nutrition.

It is the full integration of physical, mental, & spiritual well-being.

Below are some key points in why wellness matters.

This week I’d like to discuss getting familiar with your anger.

Your anger can stem from knowing when you’ve been mistreated, neglected, disrespected, & disappointed.

Anger can even stem from jealousy you harbor within by living in comparison mode & not having the inner-standing of knowing that each of us aren’t meant to be the same.

It’s the emotional reminder you need to remove yourself from situations, people, & places that cause you dis-ease.

If it stems from jealousy, it’s the reminder that you need to internally reflect & transmute the ill feelings you project onto others.

Sometimes looking into your anger is painful because you may need to revisit an old wound over & over again before you’re able to truly transmute it but it’s necessary to do this to avoid becoming avoidant within yourself.

Learn to listen to your anger, as it’s misplaced emotions that had nowhere to go.

Women have a harder time acknowledging this emotion, whereas men solely acknowledge this emotion before any other.

Regardless of gender, we all have experienced anger & we all need to know how to get familiar with it to then let it pass.

This post isn’t to advise anyone to stay angry, I just think it’s healthy for us to familiarize ourselves with an emotion that’s normal so we can learn how to healthily express ourselves during & after feeling this emotion.

Some say anger is the part of ourselves that loves us most because it knows the pain we’ve felt/ feel, it’s said that when we acknowledge our anger that’s when it’ll leave & I’ll be honest… I’m not sure that’s true.

I think yes when we acknowledge any emotion or feeling that’s traumatic or triggering, it helps to lessen the pain caused by learning to dissect it & transmute it but… it can resurface & this is why I ask we get familiar rather than just act as if acknowledging our emotions makes those feelings disappear completely.

While acknowledging our pain is helpful in moving forward, it’s important to know that it can resurface & will, even if it’s in a new way.

Being angry can act as a protectant but sometimes it does more harm than good.

Anger can feel useful but all it does is hold you in place, familiarizing yourself with it can prevent you from spiraling out of control.

Getting familiar with your emotions gives your experience value, but our experiences don’t define our emotions in totality.

Going forward, acknowledge when anger arises within but don’t let it fester & cause dis-ease or debilitation.

⁃ MML

This week I’d like to discuss rewriting your story.

Between old programming which projects fear & a scarcity mindset upon us, along with the troubling & traumatic experiences we’ve endured, it’s sometimes hard to think there can be another narrative for our stories but rewriting your story can be something you do at any point in time, so why not start now?

Sometimes the destruction of the nest leads to the construction of the castle.

Don’t be afraid to start over.

Challenge your thinking & thoughts.

Change your perspective & be open to seeing both sides of a situation.

Don’t always resort to fight or flight trauma responses when you become triggered.

Learn to release the experiences you’ve had & believe that all is well.

You’re no longer where you were but if you continue to project your past onto your present, you’ll end up with the same results & repeated lessons.

Our lives have already been written, the lessons we have to learn or repeat are contingent upon us knowing how to navigate this realm but we still have free will & choices to make.

Those decisions propel us forward when good or they hold us back & keep us stuck in place until we’ve learned what was needed.

Try to make the decisions that get your heart pumping, sometimes being too logical is really just the ego having its way with you.

Operating from an egotistical perspective is a sure way to make decisions that continue to keep your heart space closed.

The best decisions made are the ones that crack your heart right open.

It’s the vulnerability of it all that keeps your light glowing & able to shine on all there is around you.

Rewrite your story, make sure you get the happy ending you deserve.

⁃ MML

This week I’d like to discuss giving yourself the credit.

Most times the stress & pressure we feel is self-inflicted.

We need to practice giving ourselves the credit we deserve instead of waiting for others to acknowledge us.

When we heal our soul first, the mind & body will follow, this allows us to water ourselves with positivity & reaffirm healthier thoughts about ourselves.

Stop creating these self-inflicted struggles & celebrate yourself!

Learn to give yourself grace when things get rough.

Radical self-love is respect & we need to better respect ourselves so that we feel worthy of the credit being given to us.

Learn to give yourself the love & praise for making it happen everyday.

Little steps in the right direction lead to big movement.

Stop letting temporary circumstances & situations affect you so deeply.

When things don’t go according to plan, take a minute to breathe & keep going.

Learning to roll with the punches is key because sometimes things just are out of our control.

All in all, we deserve credit for rolling with the punches all our lives while living in a survival mode & if you’re still in that mind frame I hope this series along with the monthly tips help you combat the nasty thoughts you tell yourself.

If you’ve been doing the inner-child work, you most definitely deserve the credit for not allowing your circumstances to define who you are in totality.

Give yourself some credit for being different than you once were.

⁃ MML

This week I’d like to discuss freeing your mind.

The ability of freeing your mind is important because it allows you to ground yourself from within.

Daily we have about 12,000-60,000 thoughts & roughly 80% of those thousands of thoughts are negative.

95% of those thoughts are repetitive from the day prior.

By freeing your mind you silence the negative thoughts by continuing to practice grounding yourself.

Practicing mindfulness is a conscious decision made daily to better enhance your life.

When you spend time committing to bettering yourself, everything begins to change.

The people in your life who avoid doing this work will become distant & the distance will grow into being at odds based off the work they avoid.

Freeing your mind also means freeing yourself from the things & people that hold you back from growth.

Commit to the highest frequency, friendships, relationships, passions, & purpose.

⁃ MML

This month’s tip we’re discussing how to build trust in yourself.

See below for tips on how to trust in yourself & your actions.

This week I’d like to discuss the threshold of how much we can obtain on our own.

For the past 93 weeks I’ve spoken a lot on how we should go about healing ourselves in a healthy manner & what that may look like.

Today, I want to discuss what the next steps are after that.

It may have felt progressive doing the internal work that was needed to heal our mother/ father wounds, addressing the childhood & adulthood traumas, holding ourselves accountable, ridding ourselves of codependent traits & learned/ programmed behaviors, rewiring our brains & learning to show up for ourselves, but now what?

A lot of us who’ve done the internal work know how disciplined we needed to become in order to become self-sufficient but there’s a limit on how much independence is needed before it starts to feel decremental.

While it’s necessary to have learned & unlearned certain things, it’s important we know that we can’t do everything on our own.

People need people, it’s what keeps the world spinning round.

We’ve spent a lot of time retreating, going within, & untangling ourselves from the dysfunctions of the world, only to realize that life is meant to be shared with someone who’s on the same wavelength as you.

Sharing your life with someone requires vulnerability, openness, affection, & transparency, making our rotation of energy join & come full circle.

In this next chapter of life after healing, be welcoming of love & compassion that others may extend to you.

Be open to building life & community with someone.

This next chapter will look differently to everyone, but as a collective, I see us stepping into this new role willing & committed to rebuilding the family structure for ourselves & others.

In the end, love always wins.

⁃ MML

This week I’d like to discuss the art of enjoying the in-between space.

To truly enjoy something one must appreciate where they are in that moment.

It’s important not to rush where you’re headed because then the moment will seem fleeting.

Learn to enjoy the space between where you are & where you want to be.

In this space is where growth & adversity meet creating way for opportunities.

We as people, tend to always be so quick to get the next things started in our lives that we completely miss the moment.

The space between where we are & where we strive to be can be overwhelming.

Sometimes that space is a wave of emotions but when you reach where you’re going you’ll think back on where you are currently & feel a sense of completion.

Immense gratitude will wash over you when your presence grows from the past & walks into the future knowing all that’s to come.

Never give up on where you’re headed but always enjoy the trip there.

⁃ MML