Courage

Courage

This week I wish to share my experience I had visiting 2 friends who checked themselves into the hospital because they knew they needed help. When I visited them they both had my book on their night stands beside their beds. I have to tell you that I was very overwhelmed by this. Then I learned that Max my one friend gifted my book to a fellow patent to help her out! Amazing truly Amazing!

I sat and I talked with my friends and I listened to them, I did nothing extraordinary just the act of being there was enough. As they talked openly about their problems to me the tension lifted on their faces. I shared my experiences as well and smiles started to appear, the act of just letting them know they were not alone did wonders.

2 days latter I visited again and I brought my Bass with me. I got both my friends in the same room and we started to play music together. It was a wonderful experience as I watched again the tension in the faces melt away, there were smiles and after each song we played there was laughter and happiness. I couldn’t help but smile and laugh along with them. I thought to myself this is what being human is all about. I also realized that helping people is helping me as well. People call it ``paying it forward`` but I just like calling it being human.

I wrote my book to help myself and in turn help others as well, but the fact of the matter is ``Why I Run`` is proving to be constant therapy for me every day, as I interact with people and engage in open conversation I benefit as well as the people I am talking with. My 2 friends may have benefited from my visits but they have no idea how greatly I benefited from it as well. I have had so many great experiences over the last 8 months since the release of my book. I have grown so much over the last 4 years since I had the courage to get help myself. But each week I am blown away by the amount of courageous people I am running in to. How privileged I am to hear their stories and to be a part of the conversations we are having.

Being open and asking for help takes courage. Talking and breaking the stigma takes courage. Excepting help takes courage. Wanting to change your life takes courage. We all have the power to change our lives and this week I have to say that my 2 friends showed much courage. I haven`t stopped smiling since our jam session! Thank you Guy`s for Helping me this week! And showing me just how much courage you have!

``Only with open conversation can we kill the stigma behind depression, let’s start talking and kill it together!``