A Journey To Wellness Though Spiritual Solutions And Self Care
Author: wendyblanchard044
Author, Mental Health and Wellness Educator, Board Certified Peer Specialist in mental health and substance use disorder, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach
My spiritual beliefs and the way in which I practice spending time with God and hearing His message is very personal.
And I have heard God speak to me, and have seen Him show me information that I would have never seen if I had not been open to a spiritual relationship…one where I hear, see and feel beyond my physical limitations.
He is the foundation on which I continue to build my life.
I experience His message every morning in prayer, and all throughout the day as I continue to seek Him as my guide and teacher.
God/Spirit/Universe/Source is a subjective and personal experience for each of us as we align with a spiritual relationship that brings us joy, love, peace and a deeper understanding of the Divine individual purpose in our lives.
Any relationship takes work. Two people must be committed to love, and allow the Universe/God to lead us. We must trust. We must embrace the connection. We must take a leap of faith.
And when two people are brought together by the Universe/God, we are certain that this is a deeply blessed spiritual connection. We give deep praise and gratitude, and we know that any challenges, even time and distance, are never a barrier to love.
Our paths are so clear. Sometimes we are like two kids in a candy store! Our hearts and bodies dance. The smile and deep connection is found in the windows to our connected souls…our eyes.
God is the strength at the foundation of our bond.
In the depths of my pain, this wonderful man put me at ease where I felt comfortable to sit in my vulnerability and allow him to see me, eye to eye, as I struggled with Lupus.
He sees “me.”
Through the respect and love of each other, through the moments of laughter, and authenticity of the tears, he is always there in the true meaning of unconditional friendship and love.
When Divine love shows up in the form of a beautiful and close friendship, I understand the spiritual meaning and beauty of the journey.
We both immersed ourselves in our respective inner work until God was certain that we are ready, and He places us face to face to share our experiences in order to grow and evolve…independently, and together.
Even those of us who have a wealth of training in understanding and unpacking mental health, and who are certified trainers in the field, one that also includes training certification in suicide safety, experience mental health symptoms that can debilitate us.
When this happens, I use my self created program, SPEAR and SWIM into Wellness as I write about in my book, Write Pray Recover:A Journey To Wellness Through Spiritual Solutions and Self Care. (See Chapter 6 of my book for guidance on SPEAR and SWIM components). Here is an excerpt of the explanation on page 55:
“You can choose right now, in the very second that you are reading this, to create a change, one little change, that will put you on the path of wellness, and begin whatever new journey you desire. It is through spiritual solutions and daily self-care practices, with a renewed commitment, and with patience and faith, that you can access all that you desire.
It is always a choice.
S.P.E.A.R. and S.W.I.M. Into Wellness!
When you feel triggered, or you feel your symptoms escalating,
S.P.E.A.R. first.
This is a non-linear recovery plan that is specific to your health and wellness goals.”
This program is for everyone as a guide to wellness as “We All Have Mental Health.” We all experience some type of symptoms (anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, etc.) and it exists on a continuum.
Read my book to learn more, and know that you are never alone. There IS help available.
My book is a wealth of knowledge using an integrative approach to wellness. Whatever it is that resonates with you that is a healthy practice, implement that into your daily living activities to promote wellness.
Click on the link to purchase, or purchase on Amazon and all online bookstores worldwide. www.writeprayrecover.com
See resources below for NYS and National resources. All other states/countries/counties in NYS, please reach out to your local mental health facility or nearest emergency room.
I find the courage each day to pray for God to show me the TRUTH in what I need to know to release and renew.
Today I received that TRUTH with incredible force and detail. It is no longer a question in my mind.
It was one of my greatest “aha” moments of my life.
I stand in humble gratitude for God’s protection and re-direction of my personal and professional life.
When you ask God for the TRUTH, please be sure that you are ready, willing and able to accept it, and to sit with it in processing of the information. Allow yourself to grieve.
This is part of your soul work…the deep inner work where you practice acceptance while leaning on the support of the Divine.
I find the courage each day to pray for God to show me the TRUTH in what I need to know to release and renew.
Today I received that TRUTH with incredible force and detail. It is no longer a question in my mind.
It was one of my greatest “aha” moments of my life.
I stand in humble gratitude for God’s protection and re-direction of my personal and professional life.
When you ask God for the TRUTH, please be sure that you are ready, willing and able to accept it, and to sit with it in processing of the information. Allow yourself to grieve.
This is part of your soul work…the deep inner work where you practice acceptance while leaning on the support of the Divine.
Last night I had to dig deeply to ask myself why I was about to click “send” in a situation that is toxic.
I had to pause and take a breath to dig deeply to ask myself why I was so disturbed by this person, and further, to ask myself how this action would be productive. Would it make me feel better, or would it drag me down deeper into the abyss? Yes, the abyss that I have been peeking into from time to time for answers but have come up empty…for years.
Most importantly, I took a beat to ask myself if what I was about to engage in was a spiritually aligned action. Was God directing me to this action, or was this my ego??!!
Well, I KNOW that God was not directing these thoughts and potential action if I even had to ask myself these reflective questions, and so I reminded myself to walk away and that if I still felt this way in the morning, I could click “send” at that time.
Within 30 minutes of taking a deep breath to ask myself these questions, the “urge” to react had passed, and I felt peaceful. This action was in response to God’s voice.
Respond versus react. “Look up, child.”
This morning, the sun is shining and I am so grateful that I took a pause to confer with Spirit.
Doing the right thing always feel peaceful.
Ego driven behavior feels chaotic and is unproductive.
Take a breath. Pause. Check in with yourself. Ask for Divine direction.
Do the right thing and promote peace within.
Walk with Divine steps so that your footprint offers a spiritual journey for others to follow.
“Psalm 119:133, Direct my footsteps according to your word.”
Write Pray Recover 