You are a survivor

January 30th is Bell’s annual “Let’s talk” mental health awareness day.

Mental health is for the most part invisible to the naked eye. You can’t tell who is suffering by just looking at them so be careful when you are talking. Look around you today, odds are many people you will cross today are having a difficult time and are hiding their struggles.

You are a survivor

Just because we hide our struggles doesn’t mean it’s not hard. Something I’ve experience over and over is that people think you are doing well when you are smiling. The truth is that behind too many smile hides a world of hurt.

As many of you already know, I have been battling with depression and anxiety for numerous years. Mental health issues run in the family.  My child is going through the same and it feels a thousand time worst. I wish I could take her pain away and add to mine, but unfortunately it doesn’t work like that.

We are all fighters even when we feel that we are not. We keep moving forward. We find our supporters, our tribe, our community that supports us. We preserve good energy by surrounding ourselves with good people.

“You never know what’s around the corner. It could be everything. Or it could be nothing. You keep putting one foot in front of the other, and then one day you look back and you’ve climbed a mountain.” – Tom Hiddleston

There is so much I wish I could say, that I know that I will eventually share with all of you, but for now, it’s too raw to put into words. For now, I will leave everyone with this quote:

“Some of us have been through things so traumatic that the human mind isn’t built to handle but we fight and persevere every single day and night. If that’s not strength I don’t what is. You are a survivor” – Unknown

Finally, please remember, what you’re going through right now is temporary. It may not feel like that from inside the tough time you’re in. This too shall pass and you will feel different again someday.