From YoYo to YoLo

1930's STERLING Gorham YoYo Repousse Art Nouveau

When I hit puberty I didn't just become a woman.  I became depressed!  The manic kind.  I rode the debilitating roller coaster of high highs and low lows until I was 25, at which time I was fully and gratefully healed of depression along with its insidious symptoms.  I thought life would be a cake walk thereafter, but that's when the real challenges began.

I'd always known the kind of person I wanted to be... a person like my friend Yo. Yolande (known to most as Yo) is unlike anyone I've ever met.  She's self-possessed, happy, kind, and rich as all get out though she hardly makes any money and has few material possessions.  Yet, she always has enough to do what she wants, travel the globe, and still have some to spare.

Through my tribulations with my 'personality flaws' I despaired of ever getting close to Yo-ness. The harder I strove the worse things seemed to get.  My life became quicksand, with my struggles serving only to pull me further down to my potential ruin.  But I persevered... for years... and years.  Little by little I saw positive changes, often in unexpected ways.  When I was suddenly let go from a volunteer position I was able to start a dream business that I cherish.  While working to better understand and express abundance, I met a lovely companion.  While changing my work motivation from 'doing a good job' to 'doing all out of love' I found the sense of abundance I'd previously sought.  And then I realized... I'd achieved my own brand of Yo-ness.  The fears and inadequacies I'd dragged around my whole life had somehow dropped away, many without my even noticing.

They say, 'You only live once.' And whether here, or hereafter, I intend to make that 'once' a blessing to all in my sphere; and who knows, maybe someday someone will write a blogpost about the example their friend set for them as to how to achieve Joy-ness.