So, just a life update and a check-in. First the check-in: How is everybody doing? How is the new year treating you?
As for me, I've spent most of the winter time trying to keep things together. In addition to my PTSD, I'm pretty sure I have seasonal affective disorder, so this extremely dark winter period here in Norway is always a challenge for me.
I did do something useful in December, though. The holidays can be an extra challenging time for me, but while I was sitting there feeling miserable, it dawned on me that there are probably plenty of other people out there in the world feeling the same way. So I went live on TikTok and had a little text saying that I offered a safe space for those who aren't celebrating xmas for whichever reason. I called it an xmas free zone, and the intention wasn't to simply cheer people up, but to show understanding to those who struggle and feel alone; "let's be alone together" I said. I did it on the 24th and 25th of December, which added up to nearly 20 hours of being live just for those two days. And I did a similar "safe space" live on New Year's Eve.
Frankly, it proved to be very popular, and I must have gained something like 700 new followers on those three days alone, but I didn't do it for the clout. It was much more rewarding to hear people tell me how much they had needed something like this, and hearing feedback a few days later, for example from someone who had been spiraling for a while, but finally decided to go for a walk in the park after several months of isolation. Mission complete, so to speak.
I've also created a Discord server, where many of the same followers joined, and I am building quite a wholesome community there. There is a general section, where people can discuss things in general, post selfies, and so on, and there is also an 18+ section where people are free to openly discuss sexual topics, post daring selfies, and so on. I've even made room for 18+ self-promotion in case some of my content creator friends decide to join and want to plug their OnlyFans and such. Overall, I'm liking the evolution of the channel so far, and even though we are close to 50 members, there has not been any sign of drama yet, which is great. (Let me know if anyone wants to join from here, and I will let ya know how to get an invite!)
Back in September last year, I revived an idea for a novel that I had barely started on some years ago, and I got a lot of writing done, for the final part of 2024; nearly 35K words. I did admittedly slack off a bit around late November and all of December, but I am determined to keep writing in 2025 and see if I can finish the novel.
When it comes to A-Larm, the previously mentioned organization I am a member of, both for ex-addicts and people who have lived with addicts, I attended a 12-hour online mentor course (split into three 4-hour segments across three separate days), and got a diploma for attending. That doesn't guarantee I'll get a position as a mentor, but it's a start in the right direction. There is another upcoming course that I have been invited to attend, too, starting this coming Tuesday, so we'll see how that goes.
Finally, I plan to more regularly head to the gym again. That's another area where I slacked off during December. But I know that depression and such won't get better from getting completely out of shape, so I will try to make a solid effort again, while still trying to be self-aware enough so as to not push myself too hard and get overly ambitious. (I've done that before, where I started going every day and worked out a couple of hours every time, until I was completely exhausted and burned out)
So, I am entering 2025 with a lot on my plate, which I hope will help me navigate through life in more healthy ways! I also hope to catch up with things here in SG Land; engage with people, and try to keep that community spirit alive.
I hope everyone has been as well as can be.
🤘🏻 OJTheViking - 2025 🤘🏻
