ENDING THE STIGMA SURROUNDING MENTAL HEALTH

I'm super excited to share with you a cool collaboration with Standard Wax, a local candle company here in Phoenix. They have developed the YAY candle with a scent that is meant to brighten your day, and $5 of every purchase is donated to Bring Change to Mind - a non-profit devoted to ending the stigma surrounding mental illness. 

As part of this collaboration I have shared some of my experiences with seeking counseling and prioritizing my mental health. You can read the entire interview on their blog. 

I hope that my journey encourages others to seek help. There are just some things you can't fix on your own, and it's okay to ask for help. In fact, it's more brave to ask for help than it is to white knuckle it. Feel free to email me with any questions you may have. 

Photography by Lunabear Studios.

Starting A Resolution Revolution with The Giving Keys

There are some things in life that you simply can't pick yourself up from. Sometimes the hurt is too great, and you need to ask for help. 2014 had a lot of pain in it. Henry Cloud said, "We change our behavior when the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of changing." That was the case in my life, and so I put myself in counseling, group therapy and marriage counseling.  There was no way I was going to let pain sit on my heart and kill it slowly - the pain of was too great. I've been waiting for the right time to say something about this journey in counseling, and now it has arrived. I'm sharing this with you in hopes that, you would consider resolving to get your mind and heart to a place of peace for 2015. The reality is that we often can't do that on our own. Without a shadow of a doubt, I know I could not be in this place of hope and peace without the professional help of others.

So, what about this Resolution Revolution with The Giving Keys? Well, The Giving Keys is an inspirational company all about wearing and sharing hope in a fashion forward way. You can read all about their story here, but in a nutshell, The Giving Keys takes old keys that are scratched and scarred, and repurposes them into modern jewelry for men and women to wear. It doesn't stop there though, after you have worn your key for awhile you are encouraged to give it away to someone else that needs to wear that hope. There are all sorts of words that you can put on your key, and I have chosen the word "peace." It's a word I prayed a lot about, and I feel it's the word I meant to wear for the year so that I can share my journey to this place of peace. I by no means am "healed" from the pain, but I'm now equipped with a better understanding of myself and my faith in God so that I can have peace in the midst of the good AND the bad. It's truly a peace that surpasses all understanding that only God can give me.

So, what's your word? Think about it, share it and take part in this Resolution Revolution with The Giving Keys where we can inspire and bring hope to many people!

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Here's what you can do:

1. Follow The Giving Keys on Pinterest.

2. Create a Pinterest board with your word for 2015 in the title along with the hashtag #ResolutionRevolution. Click here to see mine for an example.

3. Populate the board with inspiration that expresses your word (fashion, food, photography, decor).

4. Share it on Facebook and tag The Giving Keys in your FB post.

The Giving Keys will be selecting a winner from the entries, and that person will win a necklace with their word on it.

Photography by Melissa Jill. Get the Look: T-shirt and jeans from Shop Olive You, blazer from Nordstrom, Necklace from The Giving Keys, boots by Matt Bernson, 

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