Finding Purpose

I don’t think we have just one purpose in life. I do believe we should have as much as possible. At my worst, I felt zero purpose. I didn’t believe that one existed for me. (That was not true.) We perform our best when doing something with purpose. The most obvious example would be ‘for family’. But weContinue reading “Finding Purpose”

Fear Of Freedom

I grew up as the fourth generation member of a family business, but my family hoped I would do … anything different. I had no idea what I wanted to do. Many of my peers were the same way; not sure what we would become. Why? I think perhaps one element is that we, orContinue reading “Fear Of Freedom”

What Can 4 Years Change For You?

Four years before today, I wasn’t ready to write and be vulnerable. Four years before that, I wasn’t ready for the birth of my daughter. Four years before that, I wasn’t ready to get married. Four years before that, I wasn’t ready to live one more day. I have no idea where I’ll be fourContinue reading “What Can 4 Years Change For You?”

The Flip-Side Of Depression

I’ve written extensively that trying to hold back your thoughts and emotions can lead to depression. First comes helplessness. Then hopelessness. Finally, despair. At that point, you’re probably in a depression and, suicide is the unfortunately common response to the problem. There’s a flip-side to that path. We are emotional beings. Emotions work in both directions.Continue reading “The Flip-Side Of Depression”

Feeling The Universe

Laying awake, supine in bed, the world began to swirl around me. The ceiling and walls lost their form. The room collapsed into me while I expanded outside of it. I was tiny speck of a being amidst the grandeur of a world beyond my understanding, yet simultaneously in touch with its farthest corners. UnableContinue reading “Feeling The Universe”

Why You Should Fight For Your Emotions

What Is The Absence Of Emotion? How angry does that inconsiderate driver make you? How about your boss? How about that person who mugged your sister? Emotions are difficult to define because they exist on a spectrum. The spectrum runs from zero (or, almost zero) to infinity. Imagine a depressed person on the far leftContinue reading “Why You Should Fight For Your Emotions”

Is My Mental Illness A Part Of Me?

Yes, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept the fact that it should take over your daily life and impair your ability to function. I don’t have all the answers about identity, the universe, nature, and nurture. What I do know is that if you have a mental illness, it is inside of yourContinue reading “Is My Mental Illness A Part Of Me?”

Why Write About Depression Every Day?

It’s a way to say ‘thank you.’ It’s no big deal actually. Writing down ten things that you are thankful for each day is a simple practice we should all undertake. Although I know that, I don’t actually write the list every day. Maybe my list is this blog, or, at least, one of theContinue reading “Why Write About Depression Every Day?”

How To Find Beauty In Your Death

One Day, You Will Die. You are born with one limitation. One day you will die. I’d like you to think about how beautiful that is. Death is the only thing that will definitely happen to you for the rest of your life. Nothing else that happens is guaranteed: not love, taxes, or even growingContinue reading “How To Find Beauty In Your Death”

Millions Of Windows

I feel like I have grasped bits and pieces of existence, but have yet to discover the whole picture. It’s unlikely that I will in this lifetime, but I know that mental illness is an important component of understanding ourselves. I think that the unique way each of our brains operate gives us millions ofContinue reading “Millions Of Windows”