Category: Self-Talk

Posted in Declarations, Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Potential and Worth, Power, Self-Care, Self-Talk

#Writeitdown Declarations to Live by and internalize: Know Who You Are

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

It’s not enough to have a voice and to use it. It’s also essential to know your worth and understand your value. Understand your voice in your community and your identity. Your importance goes to your life and to those around you.

Establishing your life as valuable and worthy is the first step in healing and processing. Use “I am” phrases in order to recognize yourself as powerful and present.

This is who I am

This is why I’m here

Your voice goes as far as the echo it gives so yell out and makes yourself known. Let your echo go as far as the sky will let it.

You are important and you deserve to live and help others understand your existence. Use your voice. Know yourself.

Posted in Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Mental Health, Potential and Worth, Self-Talk

BayArt Article: How Six Feet of Water Changed my Anxiety

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks
Floating changed my anxiety
Learning to Float Changed my Anxiety

Vacations with Tati

In the first week of May, I visited my closest friend Tati in Syracuse. When I’m with Tati we go on adventures and I have the opportunity to try new daring things I would otherwise pass up. This May I went jogging in six feet of water for the first time. I didn’t know what water jogging was or that it meant going to the deepest part of the pool until we arrived at the YMCA.

Excited to do something different, I tagged along thinking I would be in a pool that was at least four feet because all of my experience with pools consisted of small blow-up kiddie pools. I got this, right? Not at all. At least not at first.

When I walked down the pool steps into the chlorine filled abyss of horror, the water made my legs wobbly but my flotation belt (which helps with the water jogging) helped me stand straight. Instant fear struck and I became paralyzed. I never felt this type of fear before. Tati looked at me concerned because she didn’t know this was my first time in an adult pool. After learning how I afraid I was, she quickly grabbed a small kickboard to help me float. I watched as two young girls, unafraid, swam with confidence and joy. I wish I had the confidence of a child.
I felt terrified at first, but after a few moments of Tati explaining to me of my safety I floated to the edge of the pool and began to float along to the deep side. Five feet…then six feet. She explained to me that our bodies will always float but I have to take control of my movements. I used my strength to maneuver my body and muscles into more comfortable positions which meant focusing while I was floating. “When you panic your body tenses and you lose that control,” she said. Water jogging is harder then it looks. It helped to straighten my legs in order to trust that my control of myself will keep me afloat.
The more she talked to me the more I began to understand my fear and was able to control my body. I needed to trust the water and trust myself. I WILL ALWAYS FLOAT. As my lesson continued and with Tati’s voice to guide me, I finally got the right rhythm to water jog. My first time in an adult pool and I learned so much!

Water, Anxiety, and Control

How does this relate to my anxiety? An uncontrolled situation fuels my anxiety. My mind escalates situations even before I can decide in what ways I have control and what ways I don’t. The water became my uncontrolled variable. While in the water, I found myself panicking because the water resistance did not allow me to comfortably stand straight or control my immediate movements. In order to stay upright, I needed to focus.

I learned to stay calm and remember I will always float and control what I do. Fighting back the water resistance allowed me to use my abilities and strength to build focus and confidence. Control in water means I’m able to move my body, stay straight, move my arms in ways that helped my head stay above the water. I controlled myself even though there wasn’t immediate support around me. Just me and the water. The moment I felt overwhelmed my body would float in a plank position until I straightened myself and rid my mind of my own anxiety.

I have control because at that moment I realized I’m always in control one way or another. I will always float and I will be okay. Focusing allows my mind to become relaxed. As I trust my element, my situation, and circumstance I will be in control of confidence and calmness. Six feet of water taught me that calmness and focus is what keeps me floating above the water. I will not drown, I will learn to swim. My anxiety will not fool me into believing I do not have control of myself.

I will always float.

Find article on link below:

How Six Feet of Water Changed my Anxiety

Thank you to my best friend, Tatiana Williams, for challenging me and being patient with my healing journey and fear.

Posted in Confessions, Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Notes, Self-Talk

SWT 100 Notes Note 27: Love in a Danger Zone

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

Sometimes I wonder if something is wrong with me. How is it that I can love deeply like this? I think of the ways that can make someone else smile. I spend hours looking for something or thinking up ideas on ways I can express my love. Why? Is it that serious? But then I feel bad because sometimes I don’t get the magnitude of love back that I’m giving so I break down. I feel betrayed. Why do I love like this? Even when I can’t afford to love like I do, I’ll go broke drowning in my giving.

I wish I can give the world when I can’t. I’m working too hard to get the love I’m letting out. I don’t want to look crazy for being creative with my love so I feel like I’m retreating to a dark place in my self-esteem. I’m afraid of being hurt and embarrassed for doing too much.

I just want love too.

Posted in Declarations, Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Potential and Worth, Power, Self-Talk

#writeitdown Declarations to Live by and Internalize: Be Brave

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

I will be brave in the next steps of my life. I will take the risks necessary to get where I want. I will be the boss and I will not be afraid or anxious to make decisions. I deserve to want to wake up because I’m living the life I worked to build. I’m able to do what I put my potential to.

I’m strong in my bravery. I’m my own limit. I can do this.

Posted in Bulletins, Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Potential and Worth, Self-Talk

April’s Bulletin: Your Voice is Value

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

Your voice is your power and your strength. Without your voice you limit yourself and your potential to make a change in others people’s minds and perspectives.

Don’t be silent. Create a path of communication with your mouth, body, mind, and approach to life. Your life and your thoughts are worth listening to.

Remember to respect, listen, ask questions, and understand.

Speak up.

**Attention**

This will be the last bulletin post based on weeks that include dates. Bulletins will now be posted as their own posts!

Posted in Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Quotes, Self-Care, Self-Talk

Your Shine is Coming

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

One of the most difficult realizations to deal with is self-progress and patience. While you see others exceeding, you may begin to compare yourself and your progress to that of the ones around you. Understand that your life and their life has no comparison. You are build for something and they are build for something as well. Your progress and process is not to be tampered with as a comparison with someone else’s glory or shine. Your shine and glory is for you and only for you. Stay blessed. Stay motivated. Stay encouraged.

Posted in Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Mental Health, Self-Talk

BayArt Article: When My Depression Silences Me

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks
Author in the shadows
Silenced in the Shadow

The Cycle of Depressive Silence

It’s been some time since I’ve seen symptoms of my depression. Recently, however, I couldn’t help but notice the old cycles of those symptoms reoccurring and reappearing. I’m sleeping for longer hours, isolating myself, feeling a great sense of irritation and hopelessness and lastly losing my sense of communication.

Since I was young, maybe in my middle school to early high school days, I would go days without speaking to anyone. In those moments I would feel mentally and physically numb. Life would feel like a distant distraction. I didn’t know how to tell others I was struggling, so I stood silent. As I walked around like a lifeless zombie, I was unable to express myself in ways that I usually could. I was silent and unable to speak. Those moments of silence my brain convinced me that I was exaggerating and should suffer in silence. I locked myself up and silently cry.

In other moments, ones that are relatively recent to the past two months, I would even be around people that I love and still have a depressive episode while out in public. Those moments are filled with tears and a closed mouth, onlooking eyes, and judgmental stares of confusion. One thought, one memory, one sense of loneliness can lead to an explosive moment of overwhelming grief. And all I can think about is why. My logical mind is criticizing my reaction while my depression is flooding my mind with thoughts, ideas, and scenarios that are unreasonable and silly. I’m now unable to communicate so instead I push the ones around me away in embarrassment while I run away silenced by my own mental turmoil. What’s wrong with me?

Ending the Silence of Depression

While this phenomenon of silence is not new, I’m doing a better job at noticing the culmination of ideas and thoughts that might lead up to it. In hopes to overcome this reaction, I will communicate more with those that listen to my silent cries and hints. I will talk, ask for help, demand better for myself, and not allow myself to be silenced by my own depressive tendencies.

Depression has a sneaky way of convincing you that your life does not matter and in order to fight those moments of hopelessness, you must have a greater mental toughness to push past those thoughts. Some thoughts might be subtle and sudden, others might linger, but you must always convince yourself that you are a life worth living and listening to. Do not silence yourself in hopes to spare someone else’s irritation or lack of care. There are people who care for you and your well being. Find those people and know who they are.

While I continue to learn through my depression in hopes of overcoming it, I send out good vibes and hope to those who suffer in silence. Don’t silence yourself anymore. Your voice is essential and your life even more so. Fight for your right to be heard through your struggle. Fight for your life because you belong here

Find article in link below:

When My Depression Silences Me

Posted in Creative Writing, Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Potential and Worth, Power, Quotes, Self-Care, Self-Talk

I am a Woman

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

Being a woman doesn’t make her weak or fragile and it doesn’t make her incapable of any task.

Being a woman makes her capable of whatever her body, mind, and soul allows.

Being a woman is strength. Womanhood is a warrior.

Her body is a castle, a temple, and a mansion. It has a strong foundation and can hold a strong firm family, business, or perspective in its walls.

She is also an individual with power racing through her veins.

She is a Woman who can make decisions and hold an intellectual conversation.

She is a Woman whose burdens may appear too heavy but whose shoulders grow stronger with a sound mind and kind heart.

She is a Woman who will keep going even when odds are in every direction.

She is a Woman whos beauty has transformed her into a masterpiece with her efforts alone.

She is a Woman without any validation. She is a Woman without any apologies.

She is a Woman and she will create peace in herself.

She has power to do what she likes when she likes and how she likes.

She does not owe anyone an explanation. Her words are powerful by themselves.

She is a Woman.

I am a Woman.