Jeanene Reinvented: Where Do I Start?

Hey Royals! I hope you all have been well. I know I have been a bit MIA, but I had a lot going on personally that I had to work through before coming to you all. I can say that I missed chatting with you all, though.

The holiday season is in full swing! We made it through Thanksgiving; hopefully, we didn't go overboard with the mac and cheese and pies, but if that's what you wanted to do, then I am all for it. I don't think I did so badly, but I think I may have gone a bit overboard on the dessert, lol. As far as Christmas goes, I ate fairly light; pasta salad, veggies, and a little portion of meat. I left the desserts alone this go around.

I decided in October that December would be the month to begin to make significant changes in my life. I chose December because I want a head start on my goals for the new year. I know January is the month that many people make promises to change things for the year, but I didn't want to wait; I wanted to already have the necessary habits to make the changes a part of my lifestyle going forward.

As you can see in the title, I am on a journey to reinvent myself. Ok, Jeanene, what does that mean? Well, I am glad you asked. I am 54 years old, a mother of seven, grandmother of ten (to date), and owner of three businesses. I stay busy assisting others and my family, so it is tiring when I think of taking care of myself.

I have battled with depression off and on for many years, and as a result, I have struggled with my weight. When I have a bout with depression, my eating patterns fluctuate, and my energy levels drop, which causes my weight to do the same. Even when I joined the gym, I would start strong and fall off because depression shows up physically and mentally. Your energy levels are low, and your mood swings from one extreme to the other. The one thing that helped to satiate me during those times was sweets. I am a "chocoholic," and no matter how low I might get, a good chocolate bar lifted my spirits and the numbers on the scale.

In February 2020, I was actively going to the gym, eating right, and slimming down very well. 234 lbs.

This is September 2020. Everything outside was good. I did my best to stay active, but I wasn't happy. I fell off with my eating habits and activity. This was the first time I had done any actual activity in months. I gained all the weight I lost previously back, and even though I had a smile in the pic, I was not feeling good about myself. 260 lbs.

I still said my affirmations during these times, meditated, and journaled. Despite doing all those things, I was dealing with a lot of "life stuff." Emotional, financial, and physical stuff. In 2021, I suffered two mini strokes due to stress. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and cholesterol. Of course, I was prescribed medications for them, but I was determined to come off them as quickly as possible. I had to find a way to manage the stress, but I had to find the source. That is where the soul-searching, reflection, and that long stare in the mirror. I had to get to the root of my actions, feelings and so many other things. I had to find a way to forgive myself and anyone that hurt me. Can I say that the last one was the hardest! Ugh! I nearly changed my mind...no lie! Once I realized that was the step that was holding me back from many of the successes I wanted to achieve, I put on my big girl undies, and did the work. It is so liberating! To be completely honest, I am still working on it, but I am confident in my ability to make it happen.

Back to the stroke stuff. It so happened that one of the primary sources of my stress was my job. How about that! Since I am "psychologically unemployable," it made sense that the thing causing the most anxiety was the thing I disliked the most...working for someone else! I had to decide at that point, my health or this job. Guess what I chose? I put in my two-week notice, worked one week, and left. The same day I went, I found a transportation company with which I contracted my company, The Concierge Queen LLC, and was on the road for just shy of a year. I loved it! And the best part, my blood pressure and cholesterol went down, and I have not had to take medication for them in a year! I wasn't eating correctly at first, but I found a way to incorporate a reasonably healthy diet while on the road but was unable to work out because of an injury I incurred right before I hit the road.

Being on the road helped with my depression. I visited various places all over the country and met incredible people in every new place I went. I was making great money and just enjoying life. The situations that bothered me before didn't bother me at all, and I was able to heal; physically and emotionally.

Working for myself has been an enormous blessing for me. The freedom of being able to write my paycheck and the freedom not to be tied down to anything is a beautiful feeling! I am doing what I love and making great money doing it.

You may ask, "well, why do you need to reinvent yourself if everything is going so well?" Even though life externally was good, something was missing. I had been through some relationships that had lowered my self-esteem, and I didn't even realize it. The attention I once paid to myself and my appearance had dwindled, and I knew I had to get it back. So, I decided not to go into another year like that. That I would pay closer attention to my appearance, my physical and mental health, and show up and show out for myself. And here we are!

I will be sharing the milestones I surpassed on this journey. I will share what I am doing in this series in the hopes that it will help inspire someone to look at themselves and see if they are happy where they are or not.

So, with that, I welcome you to The Reinvention of Jeanene!

Until next time,

Peace and blessings!

Jeanene Durham is the owner of The Concierge Queen, LLC. She has assisted many business owners and individuals in creating a healthy work/life balance. She is a published author, mother, grandmother, woman empowerment leader, and serial entrepreneur.

hello@theconciergequeenllc.com