I was recently nominated by https://magneticmommy.life/ for The Penable Award. Thank you so much for thinking of me; I am both honored and humbled.
I write about all things Kansas City, fashion, beauty, travel, and lifestyle.
I was asked 3 questions:
- How did you start writing?
- Honestly, I’ve always sporadically journaled throughout my life, but officially started this blog once quarantined, as an expressive/creative outlet.
- What experience in your life profoundly changed you?
- Well this is a bit personal, but I’ll share a bit here. A few years ago I went through an extremely dark time, to be honest, it was the darkest time of my life. I was battling anxiety/depression. But with the right help i.e. therapy, self-help books, and lots and lots of prayer, as well as with the help of my family and friends; I was able to climb out of that dark hole. To be honest, sometimes, I’m afraid I’ll relapse, but when I feel those thoughts creeping back in; I immediately intervene. I’ve learned to equip myself with the necessary tools to battle these little monsters. These little tips/tricks were actually picked up from one of the self-help books I read during that time, you can find out more about this book here. I am still so happy, to this day, to have stumbled upon this self-help book, it really was life changing. I truly thank God every single day for helping me climb out of that dark time in my life. It was honestly the hardest battle I’ve ever experienced. I mean I’ve been through some tough trials, but nothing compares to battling your own mind. Mental illness is tricky, and that’s why it has such a powerful grasp over you. This experience made me appreciate life more; it made me appreciate my “normal” mindset more (something I took for granted prior to my experience with mental illness). Moreover, its made me more compassionate for others suffering from mental illness; its hard for those who’ve never undergone these trials to understand. But, when I was going through this, although it didn’t help solve my problems, having someone that understood did help make me feel better. It made me feel less ALONE. At the time, I felt very ALONE, in fact, I felt like I was in my own world. For those who are suffering today; YOU ARE NOT ALONE. With hard work, I believe that mental health can be managed. It is FAR from easy, but it is doable. I didn’t believe it at the time either, I really thought that I was just going to have to suffer my whole life, but, nonetheless, I was determined to beat this life-sucking monster, and with hard work, despite losing many battles, I was finally able to tame him. It wasn’t a linear journey either; there were definitely many ups and downs, but with perseverance, dedication, and persistence, I killed him and hope he never comes back. Oh goodness, sorry for rambling on you guys, I just get really passionate when it comes to mental health.
- What would want to accomplish with your blog?
- With my blog I’d like to raise awareness of and highlight small KC businesses. My parents are small business owners. Growing up, I saw how hard they worked; which makes me more compassionate for small businesses. I’d like to be able to help bring more traffic to hard working small business owners; they deserve it. Further, with beauty reviews, I’d like to inspire choices. Growing up, I suffered from acne; I still have a few breakouts here and there when the time of the month comes, or when I eat a lot of sugar and/or dairy; I understand how frustrating acne can be, and so I’d like to just talk about and share the products that’s worked for my acne-prone and sensitive skin. Regarding travels; I’d love to be able to highlight cool places to eat or visit when traveling!
If you’ve made it this far….thank you so much for reading my thoughts! This post was a bit personal, so it was kinda scary to put out there, but I feel pretty good about it!
My nominess are:
2. https://cantstopwontstopniecyfashion.wpcomstaging.com/
3. https://travelingelsewhere.com/
My 3 Questions:
1. What are you passionate about?
2. What’s your motivation/inspiration?
3. Who do you look up to?
I read your post yesterday and it was really late and I wanted to respond. It was so honest and raw and I didn’t want to write a reply that wasn’t quick. Thank you for being so honest about your mental health struggles. I know that took you a lot to post but I really appreciate it and it will definitely help others. I know being Asian we can’t talk about things because of the stigma of embarrassing our families and all that bullshit and the high need to appear perfect but we are humans. We hurt just as much as others and you being so open will help someone out there. I know it helped me. I have gone through so many depressing bouts that suicide has entered my mind and believe me in my youth I did attempt. So thank you for sharing babe ❤️❤️❤️
Author
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and genuinely respond to my post Raya 💕but yes, you hit the nail on its head, coming from an Asian family, it was hard for my mom to understand what was going on in my mind. Mental illness is really tough, many people think that people suffering from it are weak, but I disagree; I actually think those who are suffering are very strong individuals, as it’s a battle each day. I hope you are at a better place today; your family, daughter, and readers need you ❤️
I agree with both of you guys — this is so beautifully written and honest! 💕💕
During this time, a lot of people are suffering from anxiety of the uncertainty and depression from loss (resources/funds, support, and even close people to death) and this definitely brings light to that struggle! I hope that everyone is able to get the help that they need and REACH OUT when they feel alone, because they will realize that they’re actually not alone.
So excited to read more of your blog 🙂
Author
Hi Lieu, thank you for taking the time to read and respond! But yes, I agree with you; it is so important to reach out and ask for help! However, I do understand that sometimes that first step may be the hardest step to take, but once taken, I think that thats when sufferers will be able to begin to find the help and support they need in order to get better!