Serene_Balance : MyBlogHer Profile

In the interest of full disclosure: I am not a writer, not a psychologist, and (clearly) not a web designer. Mine is not likely to be the prettiest or wittiest blog you could choose to read; but it might be helpful. I am in no way qualified to give anyone advice, but I can teach by example. I cannot tell you the 10 things you need to do right now to get rich, get gorgeous, or get younger; but you don’t need any of those things to be happy.

My life really IS quite wonderful now, by design. I go out of my way to keep it that way. But there have been times when I was not just dissatisfied; I was devastated, exhausted, depressed, alone and confused. During the past nine years, I lost my mom, my dad, a very dear friend, and came dangerously close to losing my son due to a neurosurgeon’s carelessness. In addition, I’ve acquired more familiarity than I ever wanted with depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, through friends and family.

I studied everything I could find about different religions, spirituality, and philosophy in a desperate search for answers. I filled countless journals, the pen on paper kind that make your hands cramp and leave indelible traces of bitter tears shed on ink that blurred. I built a cocoon around myself and came out of it transformed, and ready to fly. I am a simple wife and mom, not a hermit in the Himalayas; but I have found contentment and inner peace.

Now, when the inevitable difficult circumstances come my way, I don’t break; I bend and yield, like a willow in a storm. I once read that, “Sometimes God quiets the storm, but sometimes he lets the storm rage, and quiets the child.” I can’t tell you how to quiet the storms in your life; those will come from time to time. There is little we can do about that. I can tell you how to quiet the child… your inner self. I cannot offer you a magic pill or a free e-book that will make your life instantly better. But I can join you on your personal journey, your own Quest for Balance.