You are more than welcome, brandysparks!

I retired 10 years ago so I have lots of time.

Six months before the pandemic, I had a stem cell transplant to treat a blood cancer. I am very immunocompromised so I spend lots of time at home. I have no family and no caregiver so my anxiety about end-of-life was really high after the transplant. I started attending webinars for mental health with NAMI here in Austin. That’s where I learned about Linehan. Then I started attending webinars with Action for Happiness and learned more about anxiety and mindfulness.

I subscribed to newsletters forum Everyday Health where I learned lots about the gut microbiome, mental health, nutrition, exercising and more.

I may have mentioned that my childhood was filled with severe traumatic abuse. For years I woke up in deep despair and sadness. All this turned around six months ago when I used the calendar reminders from ActionforHappiness.com. My favorite reminder is “Be a realistic optimist. See life for what it is and look for the good.” I found a way forward out of my despair and sadness.

My “mother” was severely mentally ill. I was hooked into helping her which ultimately provided pointlessly. When I let go of her, I decided to help myself instead.

I do enjoy being kind.

I am so pleased that some of the resources may be helpful to you.