Aspire to Inspire

By Jannine L. Nuzzo

With the ever-changing world and the advancement in technology and social media, mental health has become a forefront in many people’s lives, whether they want to admit it or not. Mental health is something the author is so passionate about and aims to make the subject not such a taboo by sharing what she has gone through. Heartbreak, death, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts are just a touch on what you will inquire.

This book talks about the author’s real-life struggles and demons and how she’s tried to cope. This book is real and raw with the goal of aspiring to inspire those who read it to make them feel like they’re not alone, and what they may be struggling with may be more common than they think. It offers some coping strategies and inspirational quotes to motivate you to keep going on, even when you think you can’t. If anyone is going through a difficult time or feels alone, this book is for you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9781662468469

Book preview

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Aspire to Inspire

Jannine L. Nuzzo

Copyright © 2022 Jannine L. Nuzzo

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2022

ISBN 978-1-6624-6845-2 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-6624-6846-9 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Where It All Began

The Early Years

The Divorce

The Turn of My Life

The Biggest Heartbreak

Betrayal at Sea

Healing

Online Dating

Self-Love

Social Media Is the Devil

I Hope

Coping

Attachment Styles

It’s Okay Not to Be Okay

Introduction

Where do I even begin? I’ve been wanting to write a book for a long time. But I always thought, I’m no one, who would buy my book other than friends and family, if that. I, then, went through probably the darkest period of my life to date at the time of this writing that later after you learn what else I’ve been through, that this nearly made me want to end it all will make you think I’m a looney tune, which maybe I am, but that, if nothing ever before, really made me think of how can I possibly cope and connect with people going through similar situations, or even take something away from this. Then maybe, that’s the purpose of those dark moments.

I also thought about how I would have to open up about things I haven’t opened up about before, and that certain people may never talk to me again after reading this. I, then, thought, if those people impacted me on such a level that caused me pain, then maybe I don’t need to talk to them again, blood or not. Because these are not people who are regular or constant in my life anyway. Writing, for me, has been the most therapeutic many times in my life but mostly now.

I chose to write this book about my life, things I have gone through, my lifelong anxiety and depression, and how I have learned to deal with such situations, although still not even close to mastering, and how imperfect we all are. I figured random people are influencers on Instagram and TikTok, people have podcasts, so why can’t I write a book? Tell me I can’t and I will. I write this book with seriousness but also in character of myself with a side of sarcasm, sass, and humor. So sit back, probably pour a glass of wine or a bottle, maybe grab some tissues, and here we go.

Where It All Began

Well, technically, it all began September 5, 1990, when I was born, but clearly, I don’t remember much about that. This makes me a Virgo and boy, am I one. I’m overanalytical, critical, a perfectionist, self-sufficient, ambitious, and picky. All of those have made for a particularly difficult dating life, which you’ll learn about later. I was born into a middle-class family with a brother five, almost six, years older than me. We had a small close-knit family. One set of grandparents were a five-minute drive down the street, and my other family members were all within fifteen to twenty minutes, with the exception of three cousins who were about forty to forty-five minutes away. We always had traditions of celebrating holidays, birthday parties (a friend’s and a family’s) and, from whenever I could remember, family vacations every summer.

My dad was a teacher at the time, who then became a principal, and my mom worked part-time as a medical secretary. However, I like to brag that, at one time, my mom worked for the FBI as a secretary or something. I’m not even sure. Not that she was actually in the FBI, but sometimes, I like to think that’s where I get my really great investigating skills from. We’ll get more into that later. I got good grades in school. I enjoyed writing a lot. Never once got detention or in trouble in school, unlike my brother, we were total opposites.

One of the first memories I remember of my childhood was standing in my mom’s room, getting ready to go across the street to my best friend’s house. They had an in-ground pool, and it was summer, and my mom always told me not to go near the pool when no adults were around. I remember telling her I wouldn’t, and I had to be only four