I’m Mikayla, a recovering perfectionist. After years of trying to reach perfection and failing, I sought inner peace and came to the realization that I am enough. This enlightenment helped me achieve my goals much better than my previous methods. Inner peace gives your mind clarity, so you can focus on the things that matter to you. I grow stronger every day and hope that my journey of self-growth can inspire your own path to inner peace and happiness.
I was raised in the greater Philadelphia area and still visit family there. I went to college for my bachelor’s degree in Philly then moved down to DC for grad school, where I’ve been ever since. I live with my husband and our snooty puppy, Westley. I’ve lived in Germany twice – once to study abroad and the second time for a fellowship. Aside from health and wellness, I love to travel and learn about cultures and languages. I’m a fan of history and genealogy. It is my dream to write historical fiction someday when I get the motivation.
Although I understand and appreciate every individual’s uniqueness, our brains have a natural tendency to categorize things in order to understand them. Since it’s impossible to accurately portray oneself in a paragraph, I am sharing where my personality falls on various scales.
- Zodiac sign: Aries
- Hogwarts House: Slytherclaw (Slytherin + Ravenclaw)
- Myers-Briggs: last I checked, I am INFP-T
- Three words to describe me: empathetic, ambitious, punctilious (I can be a little headstrong too)
Of course, I encourage you to truly get to know me through my inner thoughts that I share on this blog as I progress through my journey of self-growth. I would love to hear more about you and how your journey is going too! Leave your updates in the comments, follow my page on social media, or contact me via the contact me page. I’m looking forward to growing with you!
Blog Topics
Mind
Mental health is such an important topic that should be discussed more often and more openly. Throughout my life, like many people, I battled depression, anxiety, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and much more. I have learned so much in how to accept these struggles and how to not let them control me. The health of the mind is not just about the various labels of conditions and disorders, however. It is dependent on how we nourish it. Do we feed our minds with positive thoughts, openness, and acceptance? Or do we allow ourselves to be consumed by negativity? Once you realize that happiness is a choice, you can learn to free your mind and reframe any situation, which will give you the strength to help yourself and others through any difficulty.
Body
People focus too much on body image rather than body health. When we truly love our bodies, we will appreciate them and want to take care of them not to anyone else’s standard but our own. This blog is for the average person who wants but struggles to get into healthy habits; just like me. Taking a holistic approach to health and wellness, fitness and nutrition is an important component to keep in mind. To be clear, I am not a medical professional and highly encourage everyone to consult their doctors. But it is also important to realize that we are not helpless victims of disease. Much of our health lies in our own hands and can be accomplished with eating right and exercise. This isn’t always easy, but I hope the tips I share here can be helpful in making this task seem less daunting and achievable.
Soul
That need for purpose in life stems from our soul, which yearns for fulfillment. All throughout human history, our ancestors have looked for answers and meaning. Most often, we have turned to some form of spirituality like religion. Spirituality guides how we see the world, ourselves, and our purpose. It is so powerful yet too often ignored as an integral part to our well-being. While I certainly believe in the validity of evidence-based science, I believe it still has a long way to go to find the answers we are searching for, which requires us to keep an open and curious mind. There is so much in life to learn. I don’t believe there is one correct answer or approach to finding answers. Spirituality requires that we find our own way and come to our own conclusions. While established religions may guide us, spirituality comes from within ourselves.
Connection
I often hear the phrase “we are all connected.” Many people when they hear this think “we are one human race.” And while that is true, there is more to this. In this category, I will explore our connection with each other, with animals, with nature, the Earth, the stars and beyond. I also consider connection to include relationships with loved ones, with ourselves, and with the things that we inevitably face in life like money and our homes. Recognizing our connections can broaden our understanding of ourselves and the world. Learning how to strengthen and maintain healthy relationships is essential to self-improvement. Our relationships with those around us and the things so intricately woven into our daily lives greatly impact not only the direction our lives will go but they also shape who we are.