“In this chaotic, this ambiguous, this wild and juicy world all I can really do is be along for the ride.”

- Mish

I have this friend, Mish. She’s a writer, a mom, a widow. She’s sober, beautiful and hilarious. She’s one of the most accepting humans I know.

We bonded a little over a year and a half ago over salads – I made her laugh. Ends up that’s a biggie for her and, while my blog tends to be super serious, I am the girl who cracks everyone up.

Anyway, she gets me on a very deep level. We met when I was pregnant and she was new in sobriety. She’s never even known me stable for more than a few weeks, but she loves me. She’s never judged me, when I’ve been pretty easy to judge these past 2 years.

Her friendship has been a cocoon for me in many ways. She’s given me the freedom to be “not okay,” which is huge. I don’t have to be “on” Courtney; I can just be honest about how I feel and she still likes me just the same.

Her most recent post inspired me to words – not beyond words, but to words. Because every year she chooses a word, or I should say a word chooses her, to live by, grow with, aspire to.

And she’s inspired me to do the same!

. . .

healthy [hel-thee] adjective: in good condition

a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity

free from injury, illness and pain

. . .

Obviously, mental health is my goal, but as far as the World Health Organization is concerned, I’m already there:

Mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”.

I fit the bill on the outside. I function. I work. I’m of service. I can cope with stress – I just fall apart afterwards. I can bulldoze my way through life and appear normal on the outside. This is not my idea of mental health, that is acting.

I don’t know the true definition of healthy and that’s probably why it’s my word of the year. I do think the ancient definition is the most accurate, though.

Mind – body – spirit.

So my goal is to be healthy, and that seems to be quite layered indeed.

HEALTHY:

Physically.
Spiritually.
Emotionally.
Energetically.
Socially.
Sexually.
Intellectually.
Financially.

…and this is only January 2nd. More will be revealed!