I’m not exactly sure how it happened. 

When the break up took place, the blogging stopped, and I took a few months to sit back and evaluate.

I remember googling “broken engagement” and “cancelling a wedding” and “ex-fiancé”. I was desperately searching for a check list of what I was suppose to do now. Not just sending out cancellation post-cards, and contacting vendors- but what was I suppose to be doing to take away the pain of feeling so humiliated, so rejected.   I wasn’t just looking for a resource of what steps to take next, but I was on the hunt for bloggers.  I was looking for blog posts from the poor unfortunate soul who had already done this.    I was seeking someone whom I could relate to, who had been there and who had lived to tell about it.  I was looking for someone to prove that I wasn’t completely crazy, or alone, or the only person in real life that has ever felt “this way”.  Because at the time it seemed like the only people with broken engagements and called off weddings were on screen and hidden in lyrics and I just was not going to be able to handle that being the case.

I found one.  One post, by one woman, from years ago which discussed her broken engagement.  I read her story, I felt connected.  I read more of her story and more until I realized that the only thing that had come of my reading her blog history for several days, was my wishing it was four years down the road and I would be moving on and possibly reaching the point to where I could declare myself “over it” all.

I refused to publish anything right away.  Writing has always been an outlet for me and while I never stopped writing during the weeks immediately following the break up [my personal journals are FILLED], I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t share anything with the general public until after the non-wedding day had passed.  But I knew eventually I would.  I had been blogging for almost a decade. Eventually I would blog again, and I had to take some time to decide what I would blog about. 

One thing I knew for sure was that I had to be open and honest about the emotions I was facing after the broken engagement. I knew that it would be a kind of self-therapy for myself, but I also hoped that on some level, someday, what I wrote might benefit someone else.  Because I can’t be the only girl at work the day after, faking strength, trying to make it through each answered phone call without crying, googling “broken engagement what’s next” on her lunch break.  I just can’t be.

So, the weekend of the non-wedding, the one thing I knew for sure that I wanted to do was start a new “after the fact” blog.  And so I did.

With that first post, I stated that I wanted to allow my blogging to let you

…Into my quest for remembering who I am on my own, evaluating who I had become in the relationship, and defining how I can become the best me possible.

I’m not exactly sure how it happened. 

At the time, I had already started running.  I was already eating healthier than I ever have in my life.  I was already reading a handful of blogs by people who chronicled their daily eats and workouts.  I was already working on becoming the very best version of myself, nutrition and fitness wise, at least.

I was trying to create something honest, and genuine.  I was never really planning on becoming a part of any community.  I just planned on writing about my heart and my emotions and my life. It didn’t take long for me the realize that my life was about making healthy decisions and that if I was going to open up on the blog, I was going to be sharing the nutrition and fitness aspects as well.  And somewhere along the way, people started reading and responding.  In turn, I started reading and responding.  Blog comments, and responses, and twitter conversations, and email chains.

I guess that’s how it happened.

I have found myself in the “healthy living blog” community.   I talk to a few healthy living bloggers on just about a daily basis. I’m attending a conference next month titled Fitbloggin. Although I write about running, and my weight loss, and gym time, and trading up for more nutritious ingredients, my blog is very different than the majority of “healthy living blogs” out there.  I tend to be a bit more wordy and talk about some taboo type subjects regarding my past relationship, my past professions, my past failures, and my current state of “being a mess”.  But I try to do so fairly.  & truthfully. & reasonably. & rationally.  I do this because I believe that when I share these segments of myself, even (and especially) when it makes me feel completely vulnerable, I am making a healthy decision for my life; I am taking a step in healthy living.  

I think it all stems from my definition of healthy-living.  To me, healthy living is not only about nutrition and fitness.  It’s more than what you are eating and what kind of exercise you are doing each week.  Healthy living is more about healing, and having a healthy soul.  Facing fears and becoming a stronger person.  Listening to your heart and knowing how to take advice and ask for help when needed. Helping others and telling the truth, even and especially when its hard. Being genuine in your actions and open to others’ opinions.  Its about finding out what makes me, me and aiding people in realizing how special they are.  Its about following my giftings and knowing the difference between selfishness and anger. Its about learning and gaining self worth. Struggling to do these for mentioned things and questioning, and doubting, and yet still having hope and faith enough to move forward.  Its all these things and more.  These are the things make Then Heather Said a healthy living blog.

These are the reasons I wanted to start the guest post series, the More Than Series; because healthy living is more than nutrition and fitness.  So much more.

The understatement of the year would be to say I am ecstatic about the More Than Series. This series is going to be FILLED with guest posts from a wide variety of view points- not only from other bloggers, but from friends, family, and possibly even some strangers along the way too.  These brilliant writers are willing to let us in as they share stories of making healthy decisions in their own lives and fresh perspective on healthy living beyond nutrition and fitness.   I am beyond honored to be working with such intelligent, creative, and talented people on this project.

*if you’d like to write one a guest post for the More Than Series, please drop me an email at thenheathersaid@gmail.com  – I’d love to hear from YOU! [we ALL would]