Healing in Progress: A Note from the Middle of the Mess

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  Let me be clear about something-I'm not writing this from the top of a mountain. I'm not here because I mastered mental health, figured out life, or learned how to levitate out of anxiety and depression (though let's be honest, I wouldn't hate that skill).

    I'm writing this from the middle. From the mess. From the ashes I'm still sifting through.

    But I've found some light-and I believe it's meant to be shared.

I still have bad days.

I still lose my temper.

I still wrestle with exhaustion, doubt, brain fog, and old wounds that whisper lies.

    But I also have tools now. And people. And a sense of sacred purpose that reminds me my healing isn't supposed to be pretty-it's supposed to be real.



The Tools That Help Me Keep Showing Up

    Everyone's path is different, but these are the soul-tools that keep me grounded when my world feels unsteady:
  1. Journaling (Even the Ugly Truths) I write what I can't always say. Some days it's poetic. Some days it's scribbles and survival. But putting pen to paper helps me process what's real and release what isn't mine to carry.
  2. Faith That Doesn't Flinch My faith isn't perfect-but it's persistent. When I feel lost, I anchor myself in scripture. One of my go-to verses is Zechariah 13:9 - "I will bring that group through the fire...they will call on My name, and I will answer them." He's not scared of my fire. He walks me through it.
  3. Cannabis as a Sacred Support Used intentionally and respectfully, cannabis has helped me regulate my mood, reduce anxiety, and reconnect with myself. For me, it's not about escaping-it's about softening just enough to step back into the work.
  4. DBT & Soulwork Dialectical Behavior Therapy gave me tools. Soulwork gave them roots. From distress tolerance to radical acceptance, I blend what I've learned with daily spiritual practice-because healing needs both skill and Spirit. 
  5. Community (Even Online) This one? It's everything. Healing in isolation feels like punishment. Healing in community feels like purpose. Whether it's a comment, a shared story, or just someone whispering "me too"-we heal better when we don't feel alone.

An Invitation to the Middle



    If you're in the messy middle too - come sit with me. You don't have to be okay. You just have to be open. Open to healing, to hope, to trying again. This blog, this space, this little ember we're building together-it's for you. 
    
    You're not too far gone. You're not behind. You're not broken beyond repair. You're in progress-and progress is sacred. 


So, here's my invitation:
Stick around.
Try the tools.
Share what works.
And never forget-your healing is holy.

-With ash-stained hands and an open heart,
    Shelli
    Sacred Smoke & Soulwork

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