This Is Me

So I thought I should introduce myself. I’m Donna (officially named Donna-Maree). I’m 43 and horror of all horrors, I’m single. Like completely single...no kids, no ex husband....just me...this is me. I have a good job and I’m great at my job (if you know me then you know how difficult it is for me to actually say that, but more about that later). I have a big family, a mum, 4 siblings, 3 in-laws (who I also count as siblings), 11 nieces and nephews (who I adore), 6 husbands and partners of my nieces and nephew, 1 great nephew and 5 great nieces (who give me more joy than I ever knew possible). My heritage is Scottish and Italian so my extended family is huge. I was mainly raised with the Scottish side as most of the Italians are in Italy . I grew up with love, real love! My parents had unconditional love for each other and for us. I was the youngest. There is 7 years difference between my next sibling and me and 15 years between myself and my oldest sibling (the only male). My dad passed away 7 years ago. I have some good friends, friends who I know are there if I need them.

Now for the slightly complicated part, I have two personas, the work me and the out of work me (again, more about that another time).

I lived in Manchester for a brief time from ‘95 to’96 and around that I also house sat a lot from when I was 17 to 38. I went out A LOT!! I finally bought my own house at 39 and my social life came to a crashing halt because of mortgage repayments and normal everyday life debts...reality set in and I had to become a ‘real adult’! But don’t get me wrong, I love my little house!

My life has changed, and I’m still adjusting to those changes.

So there, that is me!

Now that the formalities are done let’s talk about this blog.

I used to have a blog that I started 9 years ago. I blogged when blogging was just writing, but now it is so much more. I stopped because I suddenly doubted myself. When I stopped, I got so many comments asking why and what was next. At the time, I didn’t really dive into why I stopped and that isn’t really important now.

The problem is, I have a creative mind. I thrive when I’m being creative. I’m definitely not book smart but I’m smart in other ways. I can read people. I have a great ‘bull shit meter’ (although I do choose to ignore that a lot). I have a very active imagination. This can be both a blessing and a hindrance. When I’m writing or creating I’m at my best, my happiest. When I don’t use that outlet, I start to crumble!

It is the crumbling that has lead me here. I have recently realised that I’m my own worst enemy! I have ignored myself for so long that I have forgotten how to take care of ME. It may seem crazy to blog about this journey but I really need to use my creative energy to jump start my ‘wellness’ journey. Believe me, I never thought I would ever be focusing or talking about personal wellness, but here I am. Who know maybe someone will read my blogs and relate but this time, it is just about me. Me and my self preservation.

I had an Oprah ‘a-ha’ moment last week. I realised that if anyone treated any of my family or friends the way I treat myself I would absolutely lose my shit (sorry to my oldest sister for swearing)!! So why is it acceptable to treat myself badly?!

This blog is about a journey. A journey to a healthier Mind, Body and Soul. It will be bumpy believe me. It can’t be as easy as 1 week in and I’m done.

This is my personal challenge, feel free to join me. It is going to be a long road but I can’t wait to start the journey, it has already taken me 3 days just to figure out my introduction......

Until next time,

DM 💋