SHARING TIME | "Today is World Mental Health Day. Last year I shared some startling statistics about mental health and encouraged each of you, including myself, to be more mindful of ourselves and others daily in an effort to stop the stigma surrounding mental health. — But why do we find it difficult to talk about? BECAUSE IT IS HARD. It’s hard to ask for help. It’s also hard when you can’t understand the “why” of the way you’re feeling. {News flash, it doesn’t always “make sense” or have clear answers}. And it’s really REALLY hard to be vulnerable. 💜 — Here’s my truth: I’ve lost someone I loved dearly to suicide. I’ve struggled and continue to struggle with my own mental health. Many people I know and love struggle with their mental health. Some voice this, and others don’t. I personally have a really hard time opening up. — Periodically check on your people; the ones you talk to daily, the ones you talk to every once in a while, and the ones that you haven’t spoken to in years and think about, but feel like too much time has passed to reach out now. It hasn’t. 💜 — But on the flip side, know your limits too. It’s okay if you don’t have all the answers for a person who confides in you with their struggles. It’s okay to gently assist or encourage others to seek help from other sources because it’s beyond your means. Self-care is important for both parties. — Last, please know this. You. Are. Not. Alone. You are loved. YOU MATTER. 💜" - @pagesoftravel Thank you Kallsy for sharing and for letting us share your message today! . . . . . . . . #mentalhealthawareness #worldsmentalhealthday #youmatter #youarenotalone #itsokaynottobeokay #mentalhealthtalk #NWAGG #nwagirlgang

TODAY | is World Mental Health Day! "So many feelings today for World Mental Health Day 🌎 If you’d asked me to celebrate this last year, I literally would not have been capable, one because there was little hope in my life and nothing to celebrate, and two because I wouldn’t have literally had the time from the sheer number of hours given up to compulsions every day ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ I spent time with one of my dearest friends last night, and we talked about how even in the midst of debilitating anxiety, we’re still happy, we still find joy, we’re still finding meaningful moments in life. It felt damn good to say that and feel it and mean it finally. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ Mental illness is bone deep in all of the worst ways. It holds us down, smothers us, crushes joy, exhausts us, and is a perpetual difficultly to live with. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ But even with the hardships, isn’t life cosmically and so ironically beautiful? These days, the moments of happiness shine so much brighter, because I know that these are the moments to hold onto for the days that aren’t so easy. ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ This World Mental Health Day, I’m celebrating the strength, courage, growth and LIFE for myself and for every single incredible human that lives on this earth. ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ Let’s keep going on the most incredible upward good fight to ending stigma, to introducing and cultivating better mental health resources, to showing up for one another, to making big change for future generations. ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ Let’s be kind to not only our own minds today (and every day), but give our neighbor some loving kindness today too." - @pistachi.co you're amazing! Thank you for sharing and for your message. 💙 #NWAGG #nwagirlgang #selflove #selfcompassion

⚡What an AMAZING week it has been at the FALL 2019 @nwafashionweek shows! Why do we support @nwafashionweek !? Because IT IS the most INCLUSIVE, KICK ASS event to EVER happen to the Heartland of America featuring your community of creatives and taking the Fashion industry by storm. . . CONGRATULATIONS to all the team members, models, photographers, volunteers and to the @arkansasartsfashionforum for making NWA Fashion Week possible. We are changing the face of beauty and changing industry standards with each new day here in the NWA. #effyourbeautystandards #changingthefaceofbeauty . . #AAFF #nwafashionweekfall2019 #nwafw #nwafashionweek #arkansasartandfashionforum

@bardandmusemag is a bi-monthly “simple things” magazine published in Siloam Springs with a special interest in home, garden, and storytelling. . . "Our mantra is inspiration, innovation, and articulation. We are after the everyday extraordinary! We launched in July of this year and have loved every minute since. We’d love to have you join our community — and it really is pulsing and breathing with the beauty of those who share it. We believe collaboration is a form of communion, and that we get further when being who we were created to be. Find your sacred space, take a deep breath, and just be". . ✨MEET @bardandmusemag's Editor In Chief, Tabbitha Easley- "I wear hats as Editor in Chief & Publisher and found inspiration for the magazine after the most tragic years of my life — years that nearly cost me it. I decided I wanted to live and began again by finding beauty in the most simple things that once brought me joy before I had lost hope. This is my integration back into a life that I love and am rich to have. This is part of my rediscovery, redemption, and real, and to do within a community of others who are flesh and blood (just like me) is truly an honor. I write openly about my personal struggles and victories on my blog shegildsthelily.com". #NWAGG #nwagirlgang

SHARING TIME | "I’m six months out of being diagnosed as ADD and yesterday I had a significant revelation : I’m not a failure of a human being. ✨ My entire life I’ve dealt with adults, friends, and the mean perfectionist who lives inside my head saying, “How can you lose something that important?”, or “Why are you such a spaz?”, or “Are you seriously incapable of reading a clock? Because you’re late. Again.” ✨ My entire life, I’ve attributed this to my own personal inadequacy: I WAS a forgetful, spaz who never arrived on time and has a cordial relationship with the humans at the DMV because I’ve lost {and had to replace} my identification three times in the past year. Multply that by 35 years and it’s easy to see how my inner messaging was unquestionable nasty: “wow! You completed something: isn’t that a first since... your first homework assignment in second grade?!” I realized that I bought into those comments {external and internal} and it’s made me question any potential positive thing that I do: a success? “Oh just wait, you’re a __up. It will all come crashing down soon.” ✨ It wasn’t until today {thanks therapy!} that I was able to step back and see that its not that I’m inherently bad just because I’m forgetful: Am I flawed? Extremely. Do I do the same thing over and over hoping that next time it will be different? Unfortunately, yes. Do I do things {like stay up ridiculously late making art} that would hinder even the most healthy of humans? Yep! But it doesn’t make me bad.✨ After falling into one of those negative spirals {forget something, live with the negative consequences, get negative feedback, mentally berate myself so that I’m not focused enough on “right now” that I forget something... and cycle} this week, I had the support of a group of humans {close and far} that assured me that my actions had no correlation with my goodness as a person." READ MORE from @_paigemeredith_ over on her FEED! #NWAGG #nwagirlgang

We want to see more influential Women in our community including their pets in photoshoots! SWIPE LEFT! Journalist, @4029news Anchor, @freeridestudio instructor, and animal lover @aewise has the right idea. 😍 #NWAGG #nwagirlgang