I think we should take after turtles. They have roamed this planet for so long, they must be doing a few things right. What I find so fascinating is that they face so many challenges- from avoiding natural predators and injuries from littered oceans- becoming evermore threatened as an endangered species. Amongst the many more threats they face, they still continue to crawl there way around land or soar through the waters. May this be a reminder for us to "keep swimming" when times are tough. I've created my own spirit animal for myself, a baby sea turtle. Obviously because I am cute but mainly for the reason that baby turtles are exposed to so many hazards before making their way to the ocean. It isn't over then, once they get to the water, they find themselves near SHARKS (so cool but i'd be there breaky). The thing is, I may not have to avoid getting attacked by crabs, seagulls, or crashing waves... but I often find I get hit with things sometimes that I cannot control but like a baby sea turtle, I've got to do what I can to make it to the open water.

I am not the only one who has faced hardship & I remind myself of that when I am not doing well; I am not alone. I also say that "things could be worse" or "at least I don't..." or "but thankfully I...". It is so important to surface the water at times to look at the world and define your place in it. When times are tough, life feels small - would you agree? But in the grand scheme of things, I as a person is super tiny when I zoom out into space! (then my problems truly don't matter). To face reality though, we've gotta zoom back in and deal! That is when other people come in. Friends, family, maybe a loved one (or a boy you are just texting at the time). Having social connections are so important when drowning in hardship. I made the decisions this year to visit a counselor (mainly because I only have a year left of school to reap these benefits). but it has been so wonderful to have an hour dedicated to talking to someone solely about me! I wish I signed up sooner to be honest... but nothing is supposed to happen any sooner or later than it is supposed to.

Wait, should we been concerned for Zoey's well-being? She is opening up about a counselor and discussing hardship. Yes, those things are true but I am doing well! I have been inspired to write about being resilient for it is what I used to hold onto in the past but in recent times have had to remind myself of this action for these past few months have been a challenge. I feel like I've been on that beach crawling away from crab after crab. My life, if I allow it, is filled with burdens. I could/can/and have filled my thoughts with financial and family struggles that ebbs and flows. Other thoughts like the stress of others, my school, career, boys, what to eat, and am I doing enough?, all fill my head - if I allow it. The thing I've learned over time is that what we give power to has power over us, if we allow it. Ya that is a quote somewhere on Pinterest but how raw is that! Yupp, in general life sucks. It is a poorly set up game that doesn't give you high chances of winning. It is easy to resonate with this statement and more difficult to think positively. But the action of being resilient is such a powerful one because I can take the negative energy I have about a situation and turn it around to make it better. Like all things I have struggled through - I have become a stronger person from it. At 22 I am more mindful then I ever thought imagined ( & I am so grateful). Even though connections with people are so important for healing, I feel it is super vital to find ways to heal your own self. Turtles live in their own shell, protecting themselves & like them I think we should always protect our own peace.

I pick up on a new lesson what feels like once a week but one I have learned most recently when being resilient is to not let others get in the way of your shell. In summary, don't take shit from people (sorry for swearing Ayra). I used to try to see the best in others. I don't know if this is what comes with age but people are more selfish I'm finding. So now Zoey 2.0 isn't running off the assumption that everyone is good. Some people are bad so I refuse to trust everyone. I don't need to change who I am to have these new values but I do need to act in this way if I want to protect my own peace.

This year I am also choosing to take conscious decisions with how I am spending my time. As the social butterfly I make myself to be & with these million choices for upcoming events and such... I want to drop the pressure of feeling like I need to be everywhere all the time. I noticed a pattern these last few years = I prioritize everyone that my responsibilities sometimes gets put on the back-burner, ultimately causing me unwanted stress! PlAn oF aCtIoN: box my frog. This is a concept I learned in high school leadership academy. It means to get done what needs to be done first (prioritize essentially). The same concept as work hard. play hard. Easy concepts ya? you follow? ... well its easy to forget when Margret has a gathering and Abigail wants to visit. What do you do?! (read plan of action above).

Being resilient comes more easy when yoga is a part of my daily practice. If you are yogi and have taken a break from the asanas, you know what it feels like to be "feeling out of it" eh? To the others, I invite you to take in some limbs of yoga and dedicate time to your breathe. My life is a reflection of how I am on my mat. The time I take for myself to heal, I am better able & prepared to take on the world. No connection to breathe = lack of ability to handle shit in my opinion. But it isn't as easy as "take a breather" or "deep breathes" it is all about the awareness of breathe. On a typical day I have so much going on ( like you) that I am easily overwhelmed and don't realize that my breathe is only going into my chest or that my heart is beating faster. We can't be resilient in this state. For me nature, yoga, music, and mountain biking bring me back to my element; to be the girl I know to be who can can defy the odds.

When the going gets tough remember,

- This feeling is temporary

- You are not alone

- You are safe

- You are not in an emergency: but go find a yoga mat

- Find your breathe and slowly follow it <3

I hope this resonated with you as much as it did with me. I thank you for reading this and I wish you a safe journey through those treacherous yet, beautiful waters.

Namaste,

Zoey Fern. xoxo