Welcome!
From the jump, I want to preface that this is a space of radical honesty. There’s more than enough slicing and dicing of words and tiptoeing around uncomfortable capital-T-Truths out there, so much so that there will be no room for them here.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And similarly, in the beginning (July 2, 2022, to be exact), I created From the Clinical Char. The process was deceptively effortless: poring the WWW for the best hosting sites for a website, creating and then scrapping and then recreating a logo that felt undeniably “me,” and even obsessing over the itty-bittiest design details didn’t wear me out in the slightest. My night owl self often burned the midnight oil and tip-tapped away on my computer, blissfully unaware of the journey I was embarking upon and what it would require of me. I told my closest loved ones about what I was doing and asked for their prayers, good wishes, and positive vibes. And naturally, since I have one of the best inner circles a girl could dream of, they tacked on words of encouragement, support, and so many “I’m proud of you’s,” free of charge.
The weeks crept by, and as they did, I felt two familiar but immensely unwelcome passengers hitch themselves to my wagon: self-sabotage and fear of success that falsely paraded around as fear of failure. It had been years since I last felt these ugly little thorns digging themselves into my sides, and I had forgotten how persistent they were, how paralyzing and all-encompassing they could be. And so, the process I was once so excited about slowed to a screeching halt. I didn’t tell anyone about this little detour I was taking. In fact, I hoped and prayed that everyone who had offered their support would be too absorbed in their own lives to remember that thing I said I was doing and would forget about it. And when they did remember, so much time would’ve elapsed that they wouldn’t bother to ask me about it.
Unfortunately for the two thorns, that wasn’t the case. They were no match for:
- The Madi who held me accountable and inquired me about the launch date/potential post ideas every time she saw me (every time…literally)
- The AB who was my personal cheerleader and told me I could do no wrong in any choice I made (although we both knew that wasn’t the case)
- The Grace, the Deidra, and the Nicolas who pestered me with questions upon questions upon questions (in the annoying way that siblings who know you too well do) about all my plans for From the Clinical Char
- The Kendy who reminded me daily numerous times a day numerous times an hour why I started this process and lent me more than my fair share of her infinite Energizer bunny energy
- The George who always found time in his impossible schedule to check up on me and see how things were going, challenging my limiting beliefs and harsh self-criticism every step of the way for the fun of it (he’s weird like that)
- The Katie who prayed over me and my tangled web of life (in addition to so the lives of so many others) like her own life depended on it, always making sure to ask about the blog she couldn’t wait to read
- The Andrew who allowed a space for me to be proud of what I’d accomplished (and then gently but firmly pushed me to keep attaining more)
- The many others who sent love my way, prayed for my success, and hoped for the best for me
So I graciously thanked God for all the irritating little blessings He placed in my life and hopped back on the writing wagon. It wasn’t going as fast as it originally was, and I was a lot less starry-eyed, but now I had multiple powerful antidotes to the side effects of the bothersome little barbs. They’re still here, the barbs, but they know their place now. They’re acknowledged and felt, but they don’t get to make the decisions or hold any modicum of power.
I started this blog to share information about psychology, mental health, and wellness in an approachable way, yes. But I also did it to help equip people with the knowledge and resources to know, love, and empower themselves to their very core. I did it because I felt a pull to something outside the quiet, comfortable mediocrity I had lulled myself into. I did it to show others that there’s a life outside of abusive, toxic, suffocating, oppressive, and shame-inducing environments where they, with time, can and will flourish. There are a million other reasons why, but the only one that really matters is that capital-G-God said the world needed it. And so, From the Clinical Char is here.
(This is where I’d say what’s on the docket for next week, but I didn’t plan on making it this far, LOL. I have some serious brainstorming to do, but I’ll see you in a week!)
From my chair to your screen, Charity✨
