Introducing Shelbee Says…

March 18, 2018 / 41 Comments

My brain has been running on overdrive lately trying to decide which direction I want to go with my blog. When I started blogging nearly 3 years ago, it provided a platform where I could combine two seemingly unrelated topics…fashion and mental health. As I wrote more and more posts, I began realizing that these two topics are not all that unrelated after all, with fashion, style, and self-care being a huge part of my recovery from a decade long battle with Bipolar Disorder. Then recently, I partnered with an amazing company that offers affordable online counseling services. This partnership, along with some recent conversations with friends and family, really got me thinking that I need to make a serious move in the direction of my passion, my mission, and my goals.

The background: When I finally fought my way to the surface from the dark pit of mental illness and found myself living the most fulfilling, rewarding, happiest life, I decided that my struggle had to have purpose. And that purpose is to share what I have learned on that journey with others who may be struggling with similar issues. I traveled a very long and rocky course without a road map and yet I managed to find my way to a very special place. Now I want to share that road map. It may not be the perfect guide for everyone, but it is still a guide. And that’s a pretty good start.

On that note, I want to introduce a new series at Shelbee on the Edge. But first, I have to send a giant heartfelt thank you to my friend, photographer, and soul sister, Aimee, for planting the seed, working through the details with me, and even naming the series. This was her idea and she graciously handed it over to me. I ran the idea past my ever supportive husband, my very wise sister, some lifelong friends, my amazing life coach, Susan, and some of my brilliant Forever Fierce sisters. Everyone one of them emphatically answered, “Of course you should incorporate this into your blog! That is a genius idea!” To each of you, I say thank you.  Thank you for pushing me outside my comfort zone in the direction of my dreams. I would not be doing any of this if weren’t for all of your encouragement, validation, and fierce love.

So now I present to you my Sunday series, Shelbee Says…

Shelbee Says… will be a question and answer series, an advice column of sorts (although I don’t really like to “give advice”…perhaps a “suggestion column” is a better term). Basically, it will work like this…if you are dealing with life issues that have left you lost and confused, afraid and fumbling, broken and battered, and are at a loss for what to do next, I probably have some ideas that may be worth exploring. Even if you just need some assistance in finding valuable resources to help on your path to healing, I will do my best to get you connected to those resources. Or if you just need to write it all down for someone else to read (writing it down has always been so therapeutic for me), I will read it. And I will read it without judgment and meet you right where you stand.

Beginning right now, you can email your questions, concerns, issues, statements of fact, or anything really to shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com. I will publish your question in a Sunday blog post with my thoughts, suggestions, ideas, or recommendations. I will do so anonymously. I will never publish your name or reveal your identity to anyone unless you specifically request that I do so.  If I have a personal experience that is relevant to the topic, I will share it in an effort to illustrate relatability and camaraderie.  It is often enough to just know that you are not alone.

Disclaimer: I am not a licensed therapist. I have no professional credentials in the field of psychology, psychiatry, social work, or any other related field. I merely speak from personal experience. I am not a crisis counselor. If you are in crisis, I will refer you to a crisis hotline or your nearest emergency room. If you do not have a therapist, I may recommend that you consult with one. I can certainly help to the best of my abilities in that area if needed with suggestions and/or recommendations.  I am just a regular person who fought a battle and I am passionate about helping other people live their best lives. 

These boots are a symbol of my journey. The boots that I spent an entire month’s rent on to lift my spirits when I was first knocked on my ass. I don’t wear them often, but I keep them as a reminder of the strength that I possess. Thank you to my photographer, Sarissa Melissa, for sparking the conversation about something I possess that has extraordinary meaning to me, a symbol of my struggle and my success. Do you have anything with special meaning that reminds that you are strong, powerful, and wonderful?

I hope you enjoy this series and I hope that I am successful in helping you. If not for anything else, I hope to at least provide some interesting topics for consideration.

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Ups.

I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

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Shelbee on the Edge