Welcome!
Updated: May 17, 2022
My name is Fanus Woldegebriel. This blog is being launched as I prepare to publish my book, Immigrant Mental Health, One Woman’s Spiritual Journey Toward Healing. I will use this blog to discuss excerpts from my book and various life lessons that will challenge you to look deep within. I am committed to delivering one to two blog posts every month and I hope you will stay tuned for every thought provoking and life enriching post.
Writing this book has been a transformational healing process for me. And I want you to find that same level of healing in your life. My passion for journaling developed into a passion for writing that I didn't even know existed deep in me. Journaling helped me contextualize all my feelings. Everytime I picked up my journal, so much would flow out of me naturally. Enter this space with an open heart and you will leave feeling empowered to write your own story! The name of this blog is Write Your Own Story.
Many of us live in a storyline projected to us by people and/or external factors such as demanding careers, society, social media and so on. It’s so easy to lose focus on our passions and mission for life as we are swayed back and forth by the pendlums of life. This was me until recently. During the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic I was forced to slow down. It was ackward at first because I kept wanting to get up and do something or go somewhere but there was nowhere to go and nothing to do. It was uncomfortable for me to sit with my thoughts because my mind was racing a hundred miles per hour. I began to write my thoughts. As I wrote in my journal I was able to realize some of these thoughts and expectations were not mine. They were thoughts projected on to me. I was able to filter them out and recognize my voice in my thoughts. Getting rid of these toxic thoughts was like getting over a bad break up. I knew I didnt need them but letting go was hard and liberating at the same time.
I began journaling, reading, praying, mediating and sitting in silence for long periods of time. My home was a 10 minutes walk from Lake Michigan. I went to the beach at least twice a day and just sat listening to the waves. The sound and sight of the waves calmed my racing mind. During this time I also developed a passion for running and lost over 20 pounds. I was in the best shape ever mentally, physically and spiritually as I embarked on a journey inwards. As the saying goes, when the student is ready to learn the teacher appears. I had multiple teachers. Everything around me was teachable.
When was the last time you actually sat in silence? It’s a beautiful thing to sit in silence. We have the power to write our story. We just need to FOCUS and allow ourselves to sit in silence. Sitting in silence and journaling helped me realize where I was in life and where I wanted to be. It took a lot of hard work and I’m still a work in progress as I am writing my own story. This time however I am the main character in my storyline. Nothing will push me around. I will forever be the narrator and author of my story.
My book is just the beginning. I will continue to write my own story through my blog and social media posts. I even have more book ideas in mind. And I want you to join me on this journey of writing our own story. We are not defined by our painful experiences and generational trauma. You can step out of the storyline projected on you and write your story.
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10
All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone. Blaise Pascal
Please subscribe and share with your friends and family! #writeyourstory
Stay connected with me:
Facebook.com/immigrant.mentalhealth
Instagram: @Immigrant.mentalhealth