I've been trying to wake up earlier lately to complete my morning exercise, clean the rabbit cage, feed him his veggies, and write before my child wakes up.
Fortunately, my son's lifeline isn't mobile devicesâat least not yetâbut food. He's probably the only man for now who can get me to cook for him at any time of the day.
This morning, I felt tired, and he woke up at the same time. He was in a good mood, so for us parents, that means opportunity. I hugged him and asked if he could help me with the bunny. His compliance was 100%, and when he wants to, he does an even better job than I do.
Once the bunny was munching on his veggies, he looked at me with a smile and said:
"We have such a nice family, the three of us. I am so happy with our lives."
His words filled me with pure bliss and appreciation.
Bliss, because for me, success is exactly this:
Me and my family are healthy, well, and at peace.
Appreciation, because not so long ago, the situation was quite the opposite.
When I look back at the past few years and everything we've been through, I can't help but feel gratitude in every moment today.
A few years ago, I remember clearly staring out the window from my couch, wondering if I would be missed if I were gone.
I felt exhaustedâmentally, emotionally, and physicallyâand didn't know how to move forward.
For most of my life, I had to be in Gladiator mode, fighting the challenges of life. Then, when life started to become easy again, I had to learn to sit down my Gladiator and live with a regulated nervous systemâone that wasn't in constant survival mode. That's hard to do when all you've known is hyper vigilance and expecting people and things to turn out bad, because that's what past experiences taught you.
This week's theme is about my own experience with depression, how I healed from it, and how I realized in hindsight that it was more a call for deep rest rather than depression.
This may not resonate with everyone, and this is certainly not a clinical piece on what depression is or feels like.
We don't know what it truly feels like for someone battling dark thoughts, feeling as if they are not enough and don't matter in this world.
According to the World Health Organization, about 280 million people worldwide live with depression. Those aged 18 to 29 have the highest prevalence at 21%, followed by ages 45 to 64 at 18.4%, ages 65 and over at 18.4%, and ages 30 to 44 at 16.8%.
It is my hope that by sharing my own experience, someone who resonates feels hope and inspiration to accept a fundamental truth in life, no matter how things look on the outside:
"You are more than enough, and you were put on this planet for a reason. You matter beyond the materialistic definition of what it means to be enough. You are enough simply by birthright."
And that's what this week's EQ Oasis Theme is all about:
From the Depth of Your Darkness, You Shall Rise as the Phoenix from the Ashes.
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These insights will leave you feeling inspired to help someone you know who is struggling with mental health, and perhaps even inspire you to feel more than enough if insecurity has been a constant in your life.
The Tools I Used to Overcome My Depression and Find Freedom for the First Time in My Life
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I vividly remember the darkness of my depression. I sought a therapist, and in one of our sessions, he suggested medication to ease my anxiety and give my mind a break. At first, I refused. I wanted to find a way through without medicationâa way to heal that felt true to me. Still, he insisted. I eventually agreed, but as I held the small package in my hands, I made a promise to myself: I would not open it. Instead, I would work through my pain naturally, equipping myself with tools to create a life where I felt free. One day, I would give that unopened package backâa testament to the other paths we can walk toward healing.
For Those Who Walk This Path Differently
If youâre taking medication for mental health, I want to make something clear: this is not a debate about right or wrong paths. We all have unique journeys, and my story is simply thatâa story. I share it to remind you that healing is multi-faceted, and there are many ways to meet our pain and find relief.
This journey, however you choose to walk it, isnât easy. It will demand sacrifices, and it may mean saying goodbye to people who no longer understand your path. It will challenge you to let go of the person you once were and allow space for the person youâre becoming. And yes, it may feel isolating. The old skins we shed, the old beliefs and stories we release, can leave us feeling bare. But in that vulnerability, a new freedom begins to grow.
In my own healing, I found tools that helped me shed years of conditioning, release my insecurities, and embrace my worth. These tools have grounded me and continue to connect me to the essence within that was hidden for so long.
