Dear Reader,

I started this blog 11 days ago, and most of the feedback has been positive (which I thank you all so much for!) but there has also been some negative comments directed at me. Most of them have come via my Facebook group page, Inspiring Diaries, and have included the following statements.

“How can you tell me to be positive when you have no idea what my situation is…”

“You’ve obviously got no idea how hard it to be positive all the time when shit goes wrong…”

“You mustn’t have been in the real world before, coz life is fucked up, life sux!”

That last statement prompted me to write this post….

Mustn’t have been in the real world? Let me tell you a bit about a bit…

Come for a trip back to around May 2015. Everything was going pretty great, I had a beautiful 4brm home with my teenagers. I had 2 gorgeous dogs, and had taken back up my passion of writing, after finally regaining my full vision – Life was pretty cruisy. Now let’s fast forward to 5 months ago, my world went to shit! I made mistakes, I lost custody of 2 out of 3 of my teenagers, I lost my house – my safe zone, my haven, my peace, I had to rehome my 4 legged boys, whom mind you, were my best friends. I was too proud (throw in some stubborn with that) to ask for help, and I nearly kissed it all Goodbye. I spent several nights sleeping in my car, in the minus degree temperatures, family dinners with the 3^rd teen became dinners in the car under a streetlight and that so-called light at the end of the tunnel only appeared to get further away. So, the real world, when shit goes wrong, I had well and truly had a taste of.

But! I didn’t kiss it all goodbye, I soldiered on, I got over the negative outlook that had taken over me, and I believed in myself and in the power of thinking positively. I told myself every morning that today was going to be a good day, I reassured myself that I was worth it, and I was good enough. I’m not saying it was as easy as that, occasionally the negative thoughts tried to creep back in, but I didn’t let them win this time, nor was I going to. Instead of waiting for that light to start shining in the tunnel, I became the light.

I’ve now secured another home, dinners are enjoyed at home with my son, and progress has been made with my other 2 teenagers. Finding solid employment is still a work in process, but in the meantime, I put my spare time and effort into writing. I find inspiring things to write about, I create inspirational pictures to share with others and maybe, just maybe, I’ll help others to begin to think positively about life. In all honesty, even if I only inspire just one person, then that’s another positive mission I can say I achieved.

This wasn’t written to gain any sort of brownie points with you, nor was it written to say that I know what your situation is, everyone’s journey is different. This was written to say I DO know that at times, life can suck, I DO know how fucked up it can get, and to also say that with a more positive outlook on life, it CAN become a lot more positive.

Tis all.

Til next time,

Stay safe, stay smiling!