We are in a war for our mental health.
I came to know this in the midst of a battle to save my life while in my own mental health crisis. As it often does, on the outside it looked like I had it all. I was in society’s square box of what success was deemed. Money, prestige, power. It came with all the bells and whistles of imposter syndrome managed with 80 hour work weeks, unrepentant using of people, never taken vacations, broken marriages, poor health, and so on. I was surrounded by toxic relationships. Hell, I was toxic. That’s what happens when you can’t see the forest for the trees and you don’t know the forces pitting you against yourself.
My life as it was then was unsustainable. I crashed. Dark nights of the soul look like weeks spent in the fetal position unable to crawl out of bed except for the barest of necessities; more tears than you knew a body can hold. My goal driven life was boiled down to a goal of being able to just get out of bed and open the drapes. Pain is a powerful catalyst – if you can survive it. Too many people aren’t.
I’m a fighter, a deep diver, a seeker. I set out to figure out how I was one of the fortunate ones who was able to survive the dark days. I researched for years while traveling the world. I redesigned my life. The teachings I absorbed led me to the brain and understanding it’s complex but magnificent wiring. They led me to understanding the underlying factors of systemic issues. And they led me to ancient practices, to long lost ways of living. I found an unassuming tool. It’s not a cure all.
There’s no simple one box fits all in response to what is a complex nuanced world riddled with mine fields. But it’s a powerful beacon with such profound insight and simplicity that it can be life changing. I knew I had to share this.
Who knew that opening the drapes would show me a path out of a different kind of darkness.