Happy Feet in the Netherlands -: #SuperSeptember: #BetterYourBest!

Happy Feet in the Netherlands is back on track, peeps!

http://bit.ly/HappyFeetNLBETTERYOURBEST100914

SEEN during my 12.72 km run:
click on the bitly link above if you would like to see a few seconds of PONY adorableness! :)

Struggled over the Summer, and ran "only" a little bit over 4 miles (6.5 km) in the month July, after what was a promising end of Spring and beginning of Summer.

My Nike+ stats seem to represent rather clearly my personal state of ups and downs…
After being in the deepest low in July with only 6.5 km, I picked it up in August with 78 km thanks to the #ChaseSummer Nike challenge

There were once again questions over motivations: doing it for myself to be a better healthier me VS doing everything in an attempt to meet up expectations - whether imagined or real, it was a pressure I put on myself once again.

Struggles are your best teachers, I repeatedly learn.

When August came, and an opportunity to shake myself out of the stupor in the form of a Nike (#ChaseSummer) challenge, I grabbed the chance, and came knocking with it on the PM (private message on FB) doors of my sole/soulsisters, who in turn knocked on the PM doors of their sole sisters et voilà, the #crewTheMermaidClub of The Mermaid Club was born.

More updates over the #crewTheMermaidClub
#ChaseSummer Nike Challenge @ The Mermaid Club on a later blog, promise!

I would not be #HappyFeetNL, if I will not be open & honest with the ups and down of my fitness path: 9 days before the challenge was over, I started sinking once again.

The more I push myself, the more I sank deeper.

There were personal as well as mental health reasons behind what would turn out to be in the end 18 days dip.

Last night, I wrote something on my instagram page :

If you make yourself a part of a community, be engaging, be supportive, you would never be in a personal dip, too long.

If you try hard to think beyond yourself, reach out, help out, support others, you will never feel alone even if you have what you think is a very personal "burden", no one can relate to.

We are all connected; we can all make a difference for each other.

#NeverGiveUp #KeepOnMoving

Since May this year, INSTAGRAM has been my creative playground and a place I create images to empower myself and affirm a life I find is a simple good life, I do not want to take for granted.

My loving family, good friends, have shown time and time again how they are there for me; I value their love and support.

There is an often contradicting wisdom, which I share to my love ones, people, who are very dear to me as well as those I meet, who suffers from mental illness themselves and/or people, who supports those who suffer from mental disorders: we need to experience success in helping ourselves, in order to have the strength to reach out to others and ask for much needed help.

It can be frustrating for everyone but with time, a lot of patience, support and understanding, people with mental illness can lead a life of quality with their love ones.

Another thing I learned during this most recent 18 days of depressive cycle…

If you can no longer find peace in words you read from others, then create your own simple words that will bring you peace...

The image above is something I shared, together with the text below on instagram. I created this to empower myself to let go and be okay with how things are, and how things would be. Perhaps my simplified way of saying: I need to keep on moving, I will keep on moving and never give up.

It seems to represent the balance between the "helplessness" in times of depression and the "strength" from within - the individual's fighting spirit - that you can call up when things are really rough, and enable you to just let go - for your own peace, for your own well-being…

(Text to the image - "I don't know…It's OK" - above)

This afternoon I was updating my blog, "Fueled By Goals: 7 Down, 7 To Go"

At first I was a bit sad, frustrated, scared & a tad disappointed with myself.

It was soon replaced with shame. Shame for feeling those negative feelings.

My 100+ blogs does not even relate all 3 years worth of wonderful stories how running around Holland (and other parts of Europe) has changed my life. How it changed life for the better.

Some things you can't quantify. You can't even represent it with a image of before and after. You can only feel it from within you: a personal transformation.