And Things Happen...Just As They Should

I’m gonna be honest: I have had a lot of anxiety about coming back to this online space. After much praying and mulling things over in true Jo fashion, I've come to the realization that I am indeed ready to come back. But take a moment to hear (read) my thoughts.

It's been a while since I've blogged and I purposefully removed myself because I couldn’t keep up. With the metrics, perfectly curated photos, and making sure your Instagram looks a certain way. For me—> just tew much!

I joined social media as Journey with Jo in 2016 to inspire others to solo travel on a budget…dassit! I didn’t want to build a “brand”, have a bunch of followers, or make money. I gained satisfaction from helping someone plan a solo trip or sharing with a newly made Insta-Friend the best ways to catch flight deals online.

As time went on, I changed how I showed up online. No longer did I want to share solely about traveling, but rather pull the curtain back a bit to share more about the personal aspects of Jo. I self-published my first book in 2020, which became the catalyst for my vulnerability in the online space. I shared with my audience the fact that I was a sexual abuse survivor, experienced suicide ideation, and was on the fresh heels of a broken engagement.

This was also a time when I was candid about what I was doing to work through those traumas: therapy and self-work/healing. Going through the self-discovery process truly changed my life.  I was fortunate enough to have two different women to work with, both providing me with different things I needed to help me process the things I was going through. I was on the heels of a broken engagement (more to come), and I needed damage control quickly!

Typing this now, it's crazy to believe that it's been over three years since I first stepped foot inside my therapist's office. Had I known has transformative it was going to be to my life, I would've gotten my butt into an office at age 13! Throughout these past few years, I've truly come to a place of acceptance of everything that has happened in my life up until this point.                                                                                                                                  

When I think about all the traumas I've experienced (molestation, being held by gunpoint, being raped, financially abused, and the list goes on) I am truly at a point where I can say things happen just as they should.

Now please, don't get me wrong...I don't believe for one bit we need to go through traumatic experiences in order to find ourselves or to have an "I made it out story." 

No. I am not saying that at all.

What I am saying is that the reality is this: we lived in a messed-up world and messed-up things are going to happen to people. And when messed up things happen: there are people, things, and resources that can help us pick up the pieces.

Naturally, the ratio of good to bad will be different for all of us, but we're all gonna experience some lows. I believe in God and I also believe that he does permit us to go through things in order to make us come out of it bigger, better, stronger, and wiser. 

Now while we're going through the gunk and lowest parts of life that it has to offer, it doesn't feel good at all! It's very shitty! Sometimes our vision will be super fuzzy and hazy, with no perceived way to get out of the mental, physical, or emotional state we're in. Thinking back to myself when I was in my valley, I had no clue what to do next. In fact, I was so lost and confused that I seriously contemplated making a quiet escape away from the world. 

In addition to therapy, I used social media and Google to my benefit: I started following and connecting with others that had similar stories. It's one thing (and a great thing) to have someone to talk with to aid in processing your emotions, but it's a whole nutha thing to be connected with people that have not only gone through what you are experiencing currently, but are on the other side of it.

My brain came up with this scenario to make it make sense: a med school prospect talking to the admissions counselor of XYZ University about student life, financial aid, course load, and post-grad options versus that same prospect talking to someone that actually went through the same program at XYZ University and is now a practicing doctor. Both are very valuable and necessary convos but have completely different impacts.

Knowing what it's like to have a wide range of experiences + tools in which to deal with them, I've decided to pursue this role in a professional capacity. Hence the social media revamp + coming out of social-media-hibernation. I know in my heart this is the direction I need to head in, and in true Jo fashion, I'm going for it...full throttle.

Intentional healing has truly changed my life! Through healing I've:

• Gotten to learn about myself inside + out
• From learning myself, been able to establish and reinforce boundaries
• Fallen deep in love with myself, independent of how anyone else feels
• Been able to invite in God's best for me...my true life partner whom I'm glad to call   husband
• Been able to become a better friend and partner
• and the list goes on

By the end of 2022, your girl will be officially certified as a life coach and from there, I'll be ultra-equipped to fulfill this very big and important desire that has been placed in my heart. I absolutely can't wait to share more tips, stories, and musings + all that I have in store in 2023 and beyond! For now, please accept my sincerest gratitude if you've made it this far reading and for being interested enough to click on this post.

Remember: healing is a choice, but when made, is a choice that will change the rest of your life, to give you the best life.

Talk Soon Lovelies,

Jo