This is very much just a stream of consciousness kind of editorial because things as of late have caused me to think on things. I am probably not the only one that has thoughts like this so hopefully this will touch a part of your mind and may help you in your own journeys in life
I tend to believe that I’m a fairly well-managed human being. I like to think that I usually have my things together when balancing work, family, free time and personal time. As I’ve gotten older that sometimes that ability to keep it all together doesn’t work out so well. The clearly serious difference is keeping all those things juggled together and not losing your grip on it all. Especially in this year of political craziness, COVID-19 paranoia, massive uncertainty and unbelievable events, sometimes it feels like we’ve lost ourselves, whether partially or completely.
I have not made all the best decisions in my life. I can’t think of anyone that has made all the right decision in their life. Even my parents, whom I am just amazed at how wonderful they are (and I’m not just saying that because they are my folks), haven’t done everything right. The bigger thing is making the best out of these less than optimal decisions and learning from them. The thing that some people don’t notice is that the more that we allow things to get to us, to affect our emotions, to alter our state of mind, the more that it hampers our desire to do what we need on our other branches. If you think of a tree with four equal branches, if you have too much stress or strain on one it’ll cause the others to weaken or worse. For some people, this strain can be too much and we lose people to addiction, abuse or death. We have all had our own trials and tribulations, some more than others (as a cis white male I have had far, far less than some). However, we all have to find our way to keep ourselves one with our mind and spirit.
I have my hard times and yes, they seriously diminish the way I do things in my entire life. I lose interest in doing things like writing for GWW (I have been interested in journalism since before my early teens) or even things like gaming (which I’ve been doing longer than that). There will be ways that some people mask this pain, like laughing, joking, silliness, and self-deprecation. I’m guilty on all counts of doing that. And while some of these might help you feel better in the short-term, in the long run they might not be helping you out as well as you’d think. I’m here to remind you that there are people and places that are ready to help you out in your times of need. If you’ve got someone or ones that you’re comfortable confiding in, without judgement but will also tell you the truth, then ask if you can lean on them. If you’re working for a company, find out if there are resources that you can utilize. Some of those companies (including the one I work for) will have free access to all employees to someone to talk with anonymously 24/7. If there’s a way to cut away a consistent source of your pain, DO IT! Even the smallest, simplest changes to your life can help you enormously.
There is a far, far much worst fate in the universe than facing your own terrors, fears and issues. Having the courage to face the terrors, stand up to your fears and stare down your issues is sometimes the most amount of strength one will show in their life. To anyone who reads this and feels anything, even a small iota, of what I’ve said hear and felt helpless, used, or unwanted, know this: We are here to Help, We will not Use you and We most definitely Want you with us! The ability to keep going is just one step forward…