Dose of Prose

Hello friends,

Welcome back to Style Prose. My deepest apologies for skipping a post last week – I’m slowly but steadily trying to get myself organized and on a consistent schedule not only with blogging but life in general (lol). The next couple weeks for me will be a challenge to say the least, as my peers and I have finals coming up in B-school. I probably could and should be doing other things right now besides writing this post, but blogging is one of many outlets for me to relax and recharge, even if it’s only for a short period of time.

This week, I wanted to touch on mental health and wellness. Lately with the pressure of exams and the job recruiting process, I’ve observed a lot of stress and negative energy, not only within myself but within my environment. I think it’s so easy to let your emotions overcome you, and sink into dark places and spaces, where you feel that all hope is lost. The hard part, is preventing this negativity from swaying your vision. The challenge, is being selfish and taking control of your own happiness. I’m not a psychiatrist nor am I a psychologist, so I cannot solve your problems for you. Only you know how you feel. However, I do want to touch on some key points to remember when facing stressful thoughts, environments and people as well as ways to transform negative energy into something that positively serves you.

1) Your mindset starts with YOU.

What would you do, if you knew you could not fail? I’m sure you’ve heard that question before, but have you ever stopped to actually think about it and answer it? There is so much power in positive thinking. But it’s important to remember that your mindset, starts with you. You are in control of manifesting your dreams and living up to your fullest potential, only you. So, the next time you find yourself caught in stressful situations, re-examine your mindset and your way of thinking and start looking at the bigger picture. If you remain stuck in negative thought, there is no question that you’ll also remain stuck in a viscous cycle of reoccurring problems, complaints and disappointments. In short, I’m trying to say – let go. Let go of whatever issue is causing you to be unhappy and accept whatever is happening to you, as it is. I’m not saying to give up, I’m saying to be okay with not being okay, and begin to look forward. Look at where you are now, and where you want to go. The world is at your feet! Identify what you want in life, manifest and make it happen.

2) Your vibe attracts your tribe.

As time goes on, you may start to grow apart from people who you considered your best friends. You have to realize that this is completely normal and natural. Sometimes you just can’t relate to someone like you did in the past. Protect your space physically and online. What I mean by this is, surround yourself with the right people. Your ‘tribe’ should make you feel inspired, not envious. Whether you realize it or not, people associate who you are with who you hang out with. It is essential to find a support system of people who will push you to be the best version of yourself. You want to be part of a tribe who you can build with and avoid wasting your time. If you can’t be yourself around your friends, then they’re not your friends. Real recognizes real – once you surround yourself with the right people, you’ll quickly realize how your aura changes and how much happier you’ll feel.

3) A private life is a happy life. 

The last way to fuel your stress into something positive is to live and succeed in silence. Let your life do the talking. It’s okay to let people wonder. Often people continue to feel the need to explain themselves to others, but the truth of the matter is that you don’t owe anyone any explanation. Privacy and secrecy are two different things of course, but you’ll be surprised how much positive energy you can cultivate when you stay low key and do your own thing. Also, social media tends to give an augmented reality. So even though you may feel like others are doing more than you, don’t compare yourself to them. You’re not running their race. The only person you need to compare yourself to, or compete with, is you. By living your life in private, you’re able to focus more on yourself and what you want in life.

I think it’s important overall to realize that stress is there for a reason. Of course it’s not good to be stressed out all the time, but in my opinion, it’s good to worry a little bit. It’s okay to be concerned about work, grades, friends, family, etc. Ultimately, you’re stressed because you care. If you didn’t care, you would be off in your own lonely world. Nobody wants that, right? Anyway, if you don’t take anything else away from this post, please remember this: you are capable of transforming your dreams into a reality. There’s no time like the present. So, keep pushing. Better days are coming. I promise!

-Kaamilah