The Emptiness and The Glow

 Thriving on Your Journey

The Emptiness and The Glow

This entire blog is about coping mechanisms. There would be no need for coping mechanisms at all if we never felt sad, anxious, or a lack of self worth. Of course those feelings are quite normal and usually not much of an issue if they are short lived. It’s when they persist, worsen and even combine that we start to feel that hollow, aching feeling that I call The Emptiness. Even if that term doesn’t resonate with you, I’m sure you can understand what it is that I am trying to describe. It’s a long term, deep unhappiness.

When you are fighting against The Emptiness, it can feel so bleak that it’s difficult to find a way out. If it is so bad that you can’t function, you need to get professional help and I once again I have to remind you I’m not a health professional, these are only my opinions. A professional counsellor or psychiatrist is necessary to help you through the worst of those days and set you on the road to recovery. But when you start to see a way forward, I hope these tips will help you start to feel The Glow.

What is The Glow then?

Remember in that first post when I mentioned the plant that was thriving, with healthy leaves and stem and a certain glow to it? We can feel that in ourselves. I’m sure you have at some point in your life. You feel at peace, or excited, or just plain happy to be alive.

Events can certainly trigger The Glow, for example being given an award, the excitement of Christmas day, or meeting friends in a cafe. Just as the conditions around the emptiness is unique for all of us, so are the conditions for The Glow. And sometimes The Glow is felt from really little things like seeing a beautiful bird, hearing your favourite song or a cup of tea in the sun.

The Glow is a warm feeling of peace and that everything feels in its place. I tend to feel it right in the middle of my chest, and it fills up The Emptiness, sometimes completely. At other times it can just take the edge of it a bit. Like a burst of laughter at a joke, but The Glow is short lived.

However, to be thriving does not necessarily mean you are always in The Glow. Some days, even when you are thriving it can still be down right frustrating, or even really low. But you will feel The Glow MUCH MORE when you are thriving and also ward off The Emptiness most of the time.

Chasing The Glow can sometimes make an individual feel even more unhappy than before if it is elusive. So While The Glow is wonderful, and we should seek it and we should set goals to get there, learning to accept when it isn’t present is just as important.

To me, that’s what thriving is. It’s being planted in great soil, having lots of sunshine and water and reaching your leaves to the light.

To translate that to a modern life, it’s - having good support (like family, friends and professionals), plenty of nourishment (such as self care, things to keep you occupied, what you enjoy, a fulfilling career, living to your values), freedom from pests (steer clear of negativity, keep your health as good as possible for you and dealing with upsets) and something to reach for (like goals, plans, a bucket list).

And you’re thriving!

I’ll start breaking those down in the next post.

Thanks for reading.

I hope you’re enjoying my insights, leave a comment if you like. That is my favourite form of connection.

See you next time

Jenni