It's coming again. The appetite, the mood swings, the confusion, the fatigue, the hormones. They can confuse you so much. Am I tired now? Am I really hungry or hungry? Should I eat? What do I feel? What do you listen to, and what do you let go of? Which voice is real, and which is an illusion? Which one feeds on your ego, and which one is loving?

If you end up in the spiral of your feelings and your head, do you just lose your way. What am I listening to and fooling myself? And all those little things that irritate and those people who do things that you really don't like. Memories from the past. Everything can drag you into a whirlpool of emotion.

But even with all these hormones, we still have choices. Even though we may have more challenges than usual. We can still choose. What do you really want? You know who you want to be. Probably not the one who gorges themself or yells at someone who probably didn't do that much wrong. Yes, we have a choice, and sometimes we get lost.

The fact that we see more on the internet, and in films about losing ourselves doesn't help either. It seems normal to gorge yourself. To shout and become irritated. It's just your hormones. That's what I thought too, until I realized: if we have a choice when we are not menstruating, then we also have it during menstruation. Because there is nothing that can stop us. Only our thoughts.

The moment we enter menstruation, we will be able to listen to ourselves more. Our body and mind will give many more messages. If you get irritated more easily, you may not be completely rested. Or do you still want too fast? Are you demanding too much of yourself? Now you can take more time. Your body needs it. You are more sensitive now. For people, feelings, situations, memories. Maybe also films and music.

You're not crazy. You're not annoying. And not an energy guzzler. No, you are more sensitive now. You are more open. You can connect with everything you genuinely want. Love and the simple things that make you happy.

We can embrace this side more and more. These feelings can also help you, they can lead you to the things you desire. You are more open now. You are more sensitive now. So let's take advantage of this and let it fully in. This is who we are. Will we no longer see menstruation as just a bumpy road full of difficult moments? We can embrace these challenges and see them as a way in. To our inner self. We are all energy, and we can run away from all those terms. Thinking that spirituality is not clear and is only vague. Yet it is very clear. It is finding a balance between everything around you and, above all, becoming aware of yourself and your environment. It's all your perception at it. Your interpretation is your reality. And that applies to everything. With your whole life.

So, pointing outward doesn't help at all. This or that irritates me, or society is wrong. Society can be narrow-minded, but what does it help you to point out the other side? Has your pain reduced now? Do you feel understood now? You can choose your view. It is much easier to change what you want when you take control of your own life instead of giving the power away to someone else. At every moment, you can choose how you look and deal with situations, and so can the other person. Together, we shape the society of tomorrow.

The next time you approach your period, take the time to truly feel your emotions. Ask: “Where does this come from, and why do I feel this? What is the underlying desire behind this feeling?” Every outburst, feeling and frustration means something. Something that you may have pushed away for far too long. Give yourself time, and don't blame others if it doesn't work out. That person also has a learning path. You can always come back to it and move forward again. Be kind to yourself and allow room for errors and growth. Take your time and feel your emotions. Stand back and look at what is actually happening here. What triggers me, and what do I wish? If you take time for this, step by step, you will ultimately feel the emotions coming, and you can take a step back in advance. Give yourself and others space and reduce anxiety. This is quite a learning curve. I also walk down this road. The path of awareness.

Written with love

A little backstory: This artwork started with the idea of misinformation about menstruation cycles. I figured something is wrong with the information that is the fastest accessible to women and girls. We can doubt about our own bodies and the way it feels. So with the thoughts of wanting to put more loving information about our cycle into the world, I started to see this vision of a painting. This became Shine from within. The piece you see at the beginning of the post is a small part of the artwork. You can find the full picture here.