wellandco

[wellandco]

Strength 🤍

Mindfully curated by Debra Gudema for Well&Co.

[wellandco]

“Courage gives us a voice and compassion gives us an ear. Without both, there is no opportunity for empathy and connection.”

- Brene Brown

📸: @brenebrown

Mindfully curated by Debra Gudema for Well&Co.

[wellandco]

August 🤍

Mindfully curated by Debra Gudema for Well&Co.

[wellandco]

Why I Choose Booze-Free Living and What I Have Gained

I did not plan to give up drinking, but sometimes life hands you a moment that stops everything and asks you to truly look at yourself.

For me, that moment was a car accident that changed the course of my life. It forced me to sit still, to face shame, and to ask myself some hard questions. I refuse to minimize it: I made a serious mistake, and one I carry with deep regret. While that mistake does not define who I am, it helped me better define who I want to be.

This was not about addiction, this was about awareness and making a choice to live more intentionally. The accident was a wake-up call that made me examine my relationship with alcohol, my relationship with myself and my overall life. In that process, I made the decision to stop drinking entirely. I never liked beer, never liked hard alcohol, so going cold-turkey on wine was easy. This act was not out of punishment, but out of intention because I wanted more presence, more clarity, and more honesty in the way I live.

Living booze-free has not always been easy in a culture that normalizes drinking to relax, celebrate, and cope, but what I have gained has been far more powerful than anything I gave up: a regulated nervous system, clearer thoughts, deeper emotional access, and a stronger connection to my values, values that align with organizations like Moment and MADD. While I have always known about MADD, I took the leap to get involved over three years ago to advocate for safe driving and healthy choices. At the same time, I became deeply connected to the mission behind Moment, a booze-free beverage that truly feels like meditation for the nervous system, thanks to its calming, natural properties. But just this summer, I became an ambassador for Moment after years of sipping on this delightful beverage. For me, this was a natural step forward. Their drinks are about calm and intention, not numbing or escaping. They support the kind of life I am building: present, real, and resilient.

I may not be proud of how this chapter began, but I am deeply proud of how I have chosen to grow from it. There was shame and judgement from the accident, but I stand here prouder of the person I am today then I was years ago. This shit mistake became a journey of life transition and growth one intentional step at a time. What I know now is that clarity, peace, and presence are things worth protecting. Each day I choose to live in alignment with that truth which helps me feel more grounded in the kind of woman, mother, and human I am becoming. As my former boss told me, we never stop growing and we never stop learning and thus one shall never judge.

The work I am doing, and will continue to do, is not just for me, it is to help ensure others do not find themselves making the same mistake I did. Life is precious, and we owe it to each other to look through a lens of compassion rather than judgment, and to be the hand that helps someone else rise and thrive.

Mindfully curated by Debra Gudema for Well&Co.

📸: Tempura | Getty Images

[wellandco]

MADD has recognised Debra Gudema for her contributions. While this is an honor, our support and advocacy will never end. This org is crucial!!!!! Please donate what you can to ensure their important work! ❤️

madd.org/ways-to-give/

[wellandco]

Yes and yes 🌮🤍

📸: Suft That Tumblr

Mindfully curated by Debra Gudema for Well&Co.

[wellandco]

We got your back 🤍

Mindfully curated by Debra Gudema for Well&Co.

[wellandco]

Self Growth 🤍

[wellandco]

Ozzy 🤍

Mindfully curated by Debra Gudema for Well&Co.

📸: Getty

[wellandco]

Cali Days

📸: Debra Gudema

[wellandco]

“I always say that kindness is the greatest beauty that you can have.” -Andie MacDowell 🤍

📸: @thetorontostar

Mindfully curated by Debra Gudema for Well&Co.

[wellandco]

Not Being Ok is Ok

Some days, I am just not okay or chipper. Maybe it is the weather, a new life cycle, past life events, my period, lack of a good sleep or heck, maybe it is what it is, and that is okay. Society created a culture where anything short of constant happiness is seen as something we must fix. We smile through hard days, slap on fake positivity, and tell ourselves to “look on the bright side” even when we are running on empty.

But the truth is, real life is not built for permanent happiness. Real life is messy, unpredictable, and deeply human with flaws and mistakes. Some mornings, I wake up with no spark, and I know that often stems from past life hardships or challenges I have faced. Heck, I am only human. And I have learned that sitting with those less glamorous emotions, letting them be, is sometimes more healing than forcing farce happiness. Sometimes the feelings pass by especially if I get out for a walk or play classical music, but other times I just need to feel and accept my human emotions.

I firmly believe we need to loosen the grip of the idea that “good vibes only” is a badge of emotional health. If anything, emotional health includes the full range of feelings: sadness, restlessness, disappointment, shame and etc. These are not failures, they are part of the rhythm of life and what helps us thrive into stronger beings.

When we allow those moods to exist without rushing to change them, we build resilience. Something I have had to embrace and learn. Truthfully, we grow more honest with who we are when we accept our flaws and find ways to thrive from them. And if you need additional support, that should be seen as awesome, too! Not some stigma or something to be ashamed of.

So I will say it clearly: Not being happy all the time does not mean you are doing life wrong. It means you are alive and you are human! And when we stop pathologizing normal human emotions, maybe we will finally stop feeling like there is something wrong with us on the days we just feel… meh. Because meh is part of the masterpiece, too.

Mindfully curated by Debra Gudema for Well&Co.

📸: TresCharmantes

[wellandco]

Self Worth 🤍

Mindfully curated by Debra Gudema for Well&Co.

[wellandco]

“If I have taken anything away from making Schitt’s Creek, it’s that kindness always wins, that love is best served unconditionally.” - Dan Levy

📸: Shutterstock

Mindfully curated by Debra Gudema for Well&Co.

[wellandco]

Mindfully curated by Debra Gudema for Well&Co.

[wellandco]

Mindfully curated by Debra Gudema for Well&Co.

[wellandco]

Mindfully curated by Debra Gudema for Well&Co.