Happy Monday! Today is a brand, new, day! Whatever happened on yesterday, leave it there. Use this day, May 16, 2022, as a fresh start. Whatever is going on in our lives, today we have the ability to view things from a new and POSITIVE perspective. Each day we can begin anew. After all, the Easter Season is still upon us. I know firsthand how easy it is to allow hurts, disappointments, failures, tragedies, traumas, rejections, losses, struggles, and loneliness to allow doubt, despair, a lack of faith and worry to enter into our lives.
It is easy to praise and thank God when our lives are going great. When things are rough, it is easy to lose faith, be angry, find the negative etc. I can find the good in the lives of everyone else, yet it is difficult to see past the difficulties in my own life. Don’t misunderstand. I know that there are many who are doing much worse than me; however, I feel as if I have worked extremely hard and have been through the fire, I have paid my dues. Yes, I often want to give up; however I know that God has seen me through very difficult times so he will see me through this as well. This thought process is not always easy. Some days are more difficult than others. I too, need encouragement. Many of us have encouraged others while we were going through our own issues. That is a different kind of love. My husband and I participated in the engaged couples ministry preparing couples for marriage. We developed relationships with many of them. They would often seek our help when having problems in their marriage. Our married friends would also call us when having problems. We were always there; trying to help others with their issues yet never getting help with ours. Dr.’s need Dr.’s, teachers still have to be educated, etc. No matter how much we are there for someone else, we all need someone to be there for us. I encourage us all today to make the best of this day…rain or shine…make some type of progress that will positively affect your mental health. If it is finally seeking therapy, DO IT! If it is finally taking the meds that were prescribed, TAKE THEM! If it’s apologizing to someone you’ve wronged, DO IT! If it is reconciling a friendship, CALL THEM! If it is accepting that you need to get help for you child, GET IT! If it’s ending that toxic relationship, END IT! and finally, if it is breaking that generational curse, BREAK IT! Tomorrow is not promised to any of us. Be mentally free and happy today. Each and every day we should be working toward getting healthier mind, body, and spirit. If we fall victim to our flesh, God gives second chances. Do not sit in your missteps along the way. Simply get up and begin anew.
During our failures and times of weakness and lows, we will be judged by some who have done far worse than we have. I struggle with this, forgetting at times, that we are all different. I get visibly angry with those who listen to gossip, or judge based on gossip, or those who dislike individuals without knowing them, and those who mistreat others, but shift blame to avoid apologizing. This affects my mental health. Today’s word for Mental Health Awareness Month on Day 16 is gaslighting. Gaslighting is a form of manipulation where the targeted individual is made to question his/her own sanity. It’s a tactic often used by those with narcissistic personalities.
We must discontinue overstaying our welcome in people’s lives when it comes to romantic relationships yet disregarding our true friendships and failing horribly at loyalty. Many will wrong a friend, get upset because it was addressed, stop speaking to the friend and then blame them for the shift in the relationship. More often than not, these signs are visible early in the relationship, yet many people will invest time in trying to repair a romantic relationship with nothing invested versus a loyal friendship where loyalty should lie.
If we, as a people, become mentally well, we can become better people as a whole. We will become more forgiving, relationships and communication will become better, we will be able to recognize things that are feeding negativity into our mental space, such as worry, gaslighting, anxiety and depression and we can therefore open the door for more opportunity for assistance and resources. The Mental Health Crisis today is real. Don’t get caught up today in the troubles of yesterday. Start today ANEW and BE THE NEW YOU IN 2022. IT IS A NEW DAY!!!
MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS!!! Defy the Stigma!
Dying to be Perfect 