Hi <<Name>>
It's been a while!

I don't know how 2019 has been for you, but the second half of this year has been a roller-coaster ride. Some of you know I started studying Counseling Psychology in January - even though it was "just" part time, the work and effects of going through one's own psyche during the course has been full on. At the end of July, I contracted Dengue Fever, and describe a bit of what I went through here. 

Those who may have been raised in cultures that demand constant obedience and deference to external authority - trusting our own instincts doesn't come easily. One of the long-term effects is doubting and suppressing our dreams and ideas, even the ones that excite us, because the value of them may not be obvious to others. We may abandon our own instincts of what is valuable to us, but we don't grow from this "staying safe". Stagnation and resentment can settle in until we realise we only need our own permission to try! 

It took me years to realise that whatever scares someone else need not become my issue if I see the value in trying. And instead of trying to convince others, our energy can be better spent on learning and working towards goals that we choose. In another person's eyes, it may look like struggling or "failing", but persevering in something we find worthy helps us to grow in ways that they cannot see. 

Dreams are made real through slow, concrete steps.