I’m gonna say it… life freaking sucks right now. I mean, really, even if you yourself are doing okay, the world is BLEEDING. People are SUFFERING. And it all feels so damn intentional so that adds more layers to the shit cake, ya know?
If you suffer from mental illnesses, it’s highly likely that they’ve been exacerbated many times over. Take me for example, I was off all of my antidepressant medications, but I recently decided it would be smart and compassionate to put myself back on the one that’s easier to get on and off of. I can already tell a difference. I’m still doing ALL THE DAMN THINGS besides that but I definitely needed more help.
And WHY would I deny myself necessary help? We are still very stuck in a paradigm that pushes toxic independence above all else, aren’t we?
But we humans are built for interdependence: Healthy reliance on community. Support networks that we can count on. Love. Compassion. Empathy. Witnesses to our joys and pains.
To be intertwined in that kind of human experience, though, we have to be open hearted.
Toxic independence and illnesses like depression create closed hearts.
So we have to work on this. It’s not just a matter of saying “my heart is open now.”
Every day we have to re/build that open heart. Tend to it. Be tender with it. Feed it the things it needs. And we have to be courageous.
When I was experiencing a very healthy and open hearted time in my life, looking back, I can now see that I worked my BUTT OFF to get there.
Everything I did was part of this goal of living an open hearted life. Everything.
I realized a while ago, wow, I barely do a THING anymore for my heart. I just push through days. I push through tasks. I do the exercise but I don’t FEEL the music.
This is changing, of course, or I would not be able to write about this… I’d still be rather unconscious.
And let me whine it out here, please and thank you: IT IS SO HARD!!!!
It’s hard to step off the hamster wheel.
I’m working on it and I’m here to help you too if you need any help. Just message me on Facebook; write me an email; join our private group Embodiment Sanctuary. Whatever works for you. But start by stepping into some interdependence.