searching within ourselves, lost within your body and mind and then finding within yourself who you have been all along. Self reflection, radical acceptance, change within yourself and moving forward in your life.

1. A Lost Friend
Today was an Awesome Day!
Today was a day I found a lost friend.
This friend seems so lost, sad, confused, unwanted, scared and ashamed.
This friend was watching others around
that seemed to have “it all together” - wearing a beautiful smile, a smile that
made the eyes sparkle.
You maybe found yourself stopping and asking yourself,
“Why Can’t I Find a Friend that radiated with peace,
joy, happiness, proud, secure, confident.
Ever find that kind of friend?
Maybe you might be looking for that kind of friend, are you?
This lost friend appeared separated from the rest of the world.
Possibly you may have felt separated,
misunderstood, invalidated, ashamed, dissociating from a world
that was filled with tears, fears, anger,and panic.
I learned that DBT Treatment appeared to be the answer of
how I found a lost friend.
Life is so full of happiness, encouragement, excitement.
I believe in DBT Treatment.
Years spent growing up from one trauma after another. Ever feel
like you just need a break from life?
In DBT, there is a skill called “mini-vacations” --
I observed my thoughts and started to describe all of those
hidden corners where no one else knew about.
C'mon’ admit it, how many secret places do you have?
Where is that place you felt safe, secure.
What happened in your life that you had to hide from?
That one place
you found where no one could touch you?

2. I desperately needed to escape from my world.
Through working “The Middle Path” of DBT,
I started to find that only I could find my own destiny.
Yes, I wanted someone to reach out,
take me by my hand and assure me I am a good, loveable, worthy of happiness
kind of person.
I started to become jealous of noticing how DBT was teaching others
not how to avoid hardships,
but more of a way to learn how to live your
life, as it is, in this very moment.
I realized I would not survive yet another trip to The Mental
Health Hospitals.
I frequently felt the need to self-injure.
I knew I wanted no part of living my world anymore.
I am exhausted.
My journey has lead me to a Path in the Road that I need to either
fix myself or work to believe in myself.
I had to find a way to Radically Accept I am facing my own
journey to the end of my life
as I learned I was terminally ill.
That was hard to say, maybe even hard for you to hear that.
DBT Skills taught me there IS A WAY
to be happy.
If someone would have asked me to define “True Happiness”, “True Peace” -
I would have sat down with that person and share the
truth, AS I KNEW IT, that Happiness and Peace meant not living anymore.
Am I alone thinking like that?
I would have to say, I am sure I’m not alone.

3. Can you be brave enough to take a stand,
a leap of faith,
to take a deep breath and
decide to Radically Accept you want to live, love and enjoy this journey
we are on.
I refused to give in, to give up, and to just fade away.
I knew that there had to be a life that is actually truly worth living.
I started researching How I could start
decluttering my world.
What I had found was a Mirror.
Yes, I discovered what I saw in that mirror,
was that Lost Friend.
Through DBT, I learned how to apply the Skills and find that
life IS worth living, that I AM worthy of love,
to be accepted for who I was,
not that hidden person anymore.
Thank you Marsha Linehan for sharing your life and
teaching others how to live that life we
all want, all that we need.
Truth is, I found Me in the mirror.
Only I can validate myself, accept myself.
To show loving kindness to myself.
I took a leap of faith,
took a deep breath, and decided that I wanted to share encouragement with
others. To be their own personal cheerleader.
Life IS Hard.
But looking in my Mirror, I found there was
something on my face that I hadn’t seen before,
It’s a Smile!

4. I want to live, I will live to when I can live no longer. Not at my own hands,
but of natural failing health.
Til then, I decided to be your supporter.
YOU ARE WORTHY,
YOU ARE LOVED,
AND YOU DO DESERVE HAPPINESS.
Blessings to You,
Ruthie