Health with Purpose

Do you ever wonder why certain things have happened in your life? Sure you do, we all do! While our situations may be different, I know wrapped in the layers of your life’s events, there is a God-given purpose to help you grow and give back to others.

So many big and seemingly unrelated events have been woven together to make the reality that is Aubrey at Bold Life Wellness. A debilitating chronic illness. Check. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Check. Depression. Check. Anxiety. Check. Difficulty losing weight, flabby arms… check, check, check! You get the picture. But now, over a decade later, I sit in pure gratitude for my experiences. Those years of pain and turmoil have brought me you. And maybe you need to hear a word of truth and encouragement today. So sit back and hold on — your path is leading to a life of great purpose!

I know what you’re thinking. I can feel the eye roll from here. This is a health blog. What does my purpose have to do with any of this? Have you ever stopped to consider that health is the outward expression of a heart and mind that knows it’s worth? And that worth is not a measure of your success, looks, or relationships. It’s the glow that comes as a result of knowing you are created to fulfill a role in the world unlike anyone else. Every event of your past – every good, great, hard, or shameful event, can be a tool that shapes you even more into the person you’re created to be.

I often flashback to a certain memory of when I was 24 years old. The year was 2009. I was a blissful newlywed. I had the best friends a girl could ask for, a job in the ER (that I loved), and a supportive family. But every girl who seems to have it all together has problems. I had two pressing problems. The first being the stairs that lead from the living room to our loft bedroom were terribly dirty. Dirt, mud, and dog hair…Who were these people?!

The second issue was that I was stuck. I had managed to climb halfway up the stairs and then the throbbing headache and the extreme fatigue rendered me immobile. You know that overwhelming fatigue that seems to reach every cell of your body? Or maybe you too have had a headache that builds and builds to the point you can only hear pounding in your ears. You begin to feel nauseous from the pain and your only recourse is to cry to release the burning heat from your eyes. I did all of those things and I am a notoriously ugly crier! I cried. I prayed. The immobilizing fatigue kept me trapped on the stairs, so I laid my head down and felt sorry for myself. I mourned the loss of my health. Of course I mourned! I was 24 years old. I had a mostly fit body, I thought I ate healthy, and I had no family history that would contribute to my condition. It made no sense. I mourned. I dozed off to the ache in my soul and the pounding in my head.

Sometime later, I woke up. The pain was less, I was drained of energy but had a little more than before, and at least half of my stairs were clean as I left the broom and dust pan and crawled up the six steps to the bedroom for another rest.

I would like to tell you this was an isolated event but that is far from the case. It was a regular occurrence. The medicines didn’t help, the growing list of specialists, though a huge necessary part of my journey, were unable to help cure my condition. I’ll tell you later what changed for me. But right now, all I can say is, I know why I suffered. I know I was gifted the path I had thought was a curse and I wouldn’t trade my journey for the world. My journey has given me you.

We’re all on a health and wellness journey. Each layer of growth begets the next layer’s challenges…we’re never done! I am blessed with a journey that started at a physical and emotional rock-bottom. And my rock-bottom apparently contained mud and clumps of dog hair. And since then, I’ve walked every step of this wellness journey to get me to where I am today – soaring in my health and vitality. And guess what. You can too.

You can experience thriving health, vibrant energy and a deep-seated wellness that enables you to show up for those things that matter most to you. Give yourself over to growth. Tending to your health and wellness is arguably the most impactful thing you can do to show up fully in your life. Don’t give up and don’t lose sight of the things that matter most to you. There’s a reason why you were drawn here, right? Trust me when I say that this letter is for you. You have such a purpose in this world – a mark and an impact only you can make. You’re worth the effort.

Be So Well,

Aubrey