Depression Can Happen

When I was in college, I had dreams about going onto grad school.  I was in my last semester of my senior year, collecting letters of recommendation and trying to score high enough on the GRE to get into any school at that point.  However the more I tried to go down that road, the more self doubt I ended up with and it still haunts me today.  I have built a career over the past 11 years but I still feel like I need to go back to grad school to prove my worth.  My wife and I have this conversation a lot (sorry babe), that if I feel like it will help out the family then I should do it.  But then the thoughts of what occurred that senior year come flooding back.  I was at Francis Marion University and well...  it was senior year...  I may have skipped a couple of classes because I was lazy and wanted to sleep in, but I still had the drive to continue.  I went to one of my political science professors to ask for a letter because I had taken his classes quite a bit.  However I was struggli

Well....  Still dealing with the Corona Virus.  Some of us are at home, while others are at work.  But regardless of where you are currently, what are you doing to make the best of your situation?  What is something that you can do to help distract yourself from all of the awful going around in the world today?  I know that it is tough because there are loved ones effected by the events going on all over the world, but what bright spot has happened in your life today?  Many times I lose sight of what is a bright spot in my day and I focus on the negative.  Everywhere I turn I see the negative, but the positive is following me like a dog.  It is always there and willing to show me what good life has to offer.  Recently I found out that a class mate from high school passed away.  Now I did not know him on a very personal level, but I have seen the pain that is left behind in the wake of the events that has happened.  I feel for his family and friends that no longer get to have that dail

Well here we are, most of us sitting in our homes due to the recent events (not me though...  I am at work).  As I was on social media I noticed that more and more people are banning together to help one another in this time of need.  But why do we wait until there is a pandemic among us to start to matter to others.  We live our lives in a bubble for most of the time and then all of a sudden when the world needs us, we miraculously jump into saving mode.  My question for today is why not try to matter to someone each and everyday?  Why not try to be an uplifting spark to someone that you know is struggling.  I scroll through endless amounts of stuff on social media and I see people who want to be there for you regardless of the situation get pushed to the side.  I find it hard to believe that we as a population are that self centered, but I am proved wrong each and everyday.  I understand that people have their own cares in this life and that is fine, but think about the others in yo

Lately it has been raining and cold where I am, for many of you there could be snow on the ground.  But honestly I love that kind of weather so it doesn't bother me :)  However for many of us, when the skies are gray it brings a season of depression that envelopes us and wont let go.  We find it hard to get out and enjoy the things that you once loved, it at times can feel like you are in a box and can't find your way out.  Now I know that sounds like just about everything else you have heard when it comes to the topics...  But I promise I am going somewhere with it.  One time my family and I went to visit our family for Christmas.  We were there when one of the worst snow storms hit that area.  My poor wife....  That was her first trip up north to see my family and we were stuck inside the house with 36 inches of snow and 60 mph winds...  Gotta love winter :)  We would stand there and watch people trying to figure out how to get out of their houses and go one with their lives

Isn't it funny how a piece of metal and keep a ship in place?  Think about that for a second, a little piece of metal that falls to the bottom of the sea can keep a vessel that weighs so much more than the anchor, stuck in it's tracks.  We often times throw our own anchors out to the world.  We throw out various anchors that we have constructed that keep us down and wont let us move forward in our lives.  How many times have you felt that you are moving towards a goal at a snail's pace?  Is it because you let the anchor down?  Is that anchor fear? Self doubt? Or another insecurity that we hold onto?  I'm going say something that you may turn a blind eye towards and that is: Let go.  Let go of the anchor that weighs us down and stops us from moving forward.  We only hurt ourselves when we don't allow ourselves to grow in time.  We are designed to learn and grow in this world but many times we just stay stagnant because we have the anchor of whatever stopping your li

Many times I wonder what I can write about that would be uplifting to someone who battles the same things that I do.  A lot of times I want to repeat what I have already written and it is tough coming up with something new to say.  I feel like a lot of times we always hear "oh be a man" or "You'll be fine".  But a lot of times it is tougher than expected to do what others give you advice about.  I find that mental health in individuals who has anxiety and depression is important to me and I don't want you to just "be a man" or "you'll be ok", I truly want you to be ok with who you are and what this journey has taught you.  I was recently trying to explain what anxiety was to me and I found it tough.  I found it tough to express what exactly it is that I feel on a given day.  It was a struggle to explain the emotions that I feel when I have entered into a public place or am put into a situation where I know that I have to face my demo