008-Are you rooted and strong? Part 1

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In March of this year, I attended an amazing retreat called Ascend, which I will write about later. One of the things the attendees received at the retreat was a book called, "Rooted: How I stay small town strong when life gets hard and how you can too" by Lewellyn Melnyk. Lewellyn was kind enough to give us all a copy of this book. As soon as I got home, I dove into this book. I have so much that I want to share. So much, in fact, that I may split this into more than one post.

The book covers various aspects of self care, mental health, and personal development, while living in a rural area. I am going to share with you three quotes that really spoke to me and why. I'd love to hear what parts of the book spoke to you.

On page 89, Melnyk says, "Be careful where you spend your time. Make sure it is serving your mental health. If what you're currently doing isn't working, try something else." If I could only do things that served my mental health, that would be fantastic, but it's probably not super realistic to expect to only do those things. As a property manager, I often struggle with whether my career choice is good for my mental health. It's a tough field to be in and there are times when I do seriously consider whether I want to keep doing what I'm doing. There are some good parts to the business, though which keeps me going. One thing I've discovered is that I need to find other ways that bring me joy and serve my mental health. Enter this blog. It is very therapeutic for me to write. And I like to share what I write. I have no idea if anyone actually reads what I write, but I am going to keep sharing because I think it's good for everyone.

On page 131, I loved her quote "I believe we all want better mental health, but perhaps we don't understand how to achieve it. The great news is that the brain has the ability to change it's physical structure as a result of learning. This is called neuroplasticity. (source: What is Neuroplasticity? by Kendra Cherry). Changing the way you think takes some practice and if you haven't done it before, it can feel impossible." I don't know anything about neuroplasticity, but I believe in the power of positive thinking. Just think about all the things we hear and read about-- positive self talk, affirmations, mindfulness, meditation and manifesting-- so this makes perfect sense. Fairly recently, I really realized how much of a difference positive thinking truly makes. Sometimes, I catch myself thinking negative thoughts and it's easier to redirect my thoughts now.

I am a huge fan of the phrase, "You do you!" and use it often. On page 144 of this book, Melnyk says, "The important thing to remember is to always believe, wholeheartedly, that the only person who can make the right decision for you is you! Have you heard the saying, "You do you."?" The author is a fan of this quote too. Sometimes its hard to know if we are making the correct decision for ourselves. I truly believe that if you trust yourself and "go with your gut", rather than what others are saying we should do, we will make the right decision {most of the time} anyway. Will it be perfect? Of course not. I am also a big believer in progress over perfection. One step at a time, as they say.

One of the things I really liked about "Rooted" was the author's engaging writing style, which makes what she's saying applicable to readers of all backgrounds, not just those in farming or that live in a rural community. Melnyk's ability to blend her personal stories with professional sources and research creates something that keeps readers engaged throughout the book. This book is in my top 10 favorite personal development books. Go check it out, and make yourself proud!

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