…..We learn what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger

It’s #WorldMentalHealthDay today.

We are all human, and it is alright not to be alright. Kudos to @allontheboard for some great posts today and the wider Twitterverse.

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A blog post can often be looked at as a platform to enhance one’s own standing, to beat your own drum, tell others of your success, to teach. And it’s ok for it to be that.

Today is not a day for that.

This year my awareness of mental health issues has been spiked more so than ever, and that has followed along with a journey that many others I know have been on.

At my office, we now have some Mental Health First Aiders and their availability and non-judgmental demanour is a great thing and something I hope to see more of in the future.

They circulated this quiz from the NHS today, I would encourage you to take a couple of minutes to take it and spend some time thinking about some of the suggested actions from it.

The above quote from Theodore Roosevelt, I actually heard in recent podcast, WHW, where the main protagonist, Tony Schiavone, had recently returned to the pro wrestling industry after 18 years. When he left, the perception of him was of someone who didn’t care and wasn’t interested in the work that he did. The podcast has been a very public reindtroduction to the industry for him and has shed light on his personality and passion that had never before been seen. His return to network TV, fronting a new pro wrestling show last week has been a heartwarming tale of redemption, his health and deameanour have all noticeably changed for the better.

The format of the podcast is a 1:1 conversation, talking about various events, milestones and people from the past. The host, Conrad Thompson, is always so well prepared and exudes passion for the subject matter, he draws that out of his co-host and listening to these podcasts is compelling and affirming.

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How does this apply to me?

When I was at my lowest point, be that when relationships broke down, when I was dropping out of uni, when money problems mounted, or when my back showed no signs of ever recovering…..what was I not doing?

I wasn’t talking about what I was going through, I don’t think I even took the time to think about them. I was burying my head in the sand.

At face value, I was always chipper, happy and carefree. Often, that wasn’t the case.

My favourite band of all time, is Linkin Park, and their lead singer, Chester Bennington committed suicide in 2017, his wife posted this shortly after:

Whatever you might be going through, please talk to someone.

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Blog post title lyrics from: Sharp edges – by Linkin Park.

Find all the songs from my blog posts at this Spotify playlist.