LFT family, it has been such a long time since I’ve blogged. I’ve gone on hiatuses before, but something about this one was different. Usually, when I take a break from blogging, it is because I’m super stressed at work or I need to take some time away for my mental health. Not this time.
A couple of my loyal readers asked when I would return, and while I didn’t have a set timeline in mind, I always gave the same answer: “I don’t know. I just haven’t really felt inspired to write anything lately.” This was honestly how I felt, and after a while, I accepted that I was diagnosed with a bad case of writer’s block that would pass on its own. However, I didn’t give it more thought than that until two days ago.
Story Time
You may remember Alyson Stoner (they/them) from Camp Rock or Phineas and Ferb if you’re a Disney kid, or as the adorable kid dancing in Missy Elliott’s Work It music video in 2002. I recall both eras and have closely followed Stoner’s career, even up to the point when they released a podcast called Dear Hollywood in 2023. This was the most insightful podcast I had ever heard, and Marlon and I looked forward to each episode to listen to their insight about Hollywood’s impact on child stars. Needless to say, when their memoir, Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything, was released on August 12, I was ecstatic.
As I was reading the prologue, literally two pages in, I found myself nodding in agreement and relating to what they were feeling. I’m going to be very vague as to avoid spoilers, but it was like Alyson could hear my thoughts from when I was a child and put those thoughts in their memoir. I connected their experiences to my own and immediately pulled out my laptop to take notes. I ventured curiously into the first chapter and repeatedly found myself stopping to jot down more notes. Some of Alyson’s story felt extremely similar to mine, and I started to understand more about who I am now based on my childhood experiences that mirrored theirs. Then, the lightbulb went off.
Lightbulb Moment
The real reason why I haven’t been blogging cannot be reduced to simply writer’s block. It runs deeper than that, and I didn’t realize it until I was reading Stoner’s memoir. I haven’t been blogging because I haven’t been in therapy. Let me explain.
Therapy gave me the freedom and space to reflect and learn about myself, so naturally, I always had something meaningful to blog about. After my sessions, I would leave with new insights or a deeper understanding of my past, and I was eager to share those discoveries (and sometimes struggles and shortcomings) with you all. Without therapy, those revelations completely stopped, and I lost my motivation to write. Reading Stoner’s memoir helped me reconnect with that process of self-reflection, and I finally understood the missing piece of the puzzle — I relied too much on therapy to help me improve and too much on my therapist to challenge me and encourage self-reflection.
Just because I am no longer in therapy does not mean that I should be complacent in where I am personally. Therefore, I am challenging myself to consume more content that challenges me to reflect. Whether it comes from a book, podcast, movie, or TV show, I don’t want to be complacent anymore.
I encourage you all to take a dive into your own lives and think about whether there are any areas in your life that you have gotten a bit complacent about. Challenge yourself to think critically about how you can continue growing, then make a plan that allows you to keep improving in whatever way you’d like to see for yourself.
Here’s to Alyson Stoner for being vulnerable and open about their experiences, and here’s to all of us for continuing to want better for ourselves!
Let's Flourish Together 