It has been 3 years since the official launch of “Why I Run” and I am still blown away that the decision I made to write about my struggles and my recovery from my depression has done so well, reached so many people and has been such a great help.
I still remember the morning when after a 14km run I decided to write the intro to “Why I Run” I took a deep breath and I thought to myself. It is all or nothing I am either going to write with total honesty about my life and my struggles, my therapy, or I just wasn’t going to do it all. And when I wrote I was never going to quote any professionals because I was going to help people and reach people with my own real-life experiences. I wanted to show people that they were not alone! That the way they feel emotion is the same way I feel emotion, that if I could change so could they and it had to be extremely personal and raw or it would never work.
People who struggle with depression, anxiety and other mental health issue are lacking human connection and feel alone and disconnected from the world. I knew this because I was there and I knew that giving them a human book, with real true-life thoughts, situations and emotional responses I could reach them, I could help, which really help me in return!
When I am helping people, I am at my best! I have purpose were there was no purpose before, that purpose is growing bigger and bigger everyday. The Mental Health system is changing and growing everyday, but it has a long way go! Because we are changing 100’s of years of stigma, and false fears and ways of treatment. The Mental Health system is going through its own recovery in away.
If I was able to write 3 books on Mental Health in 3 years, teach the 2nd book as a four-night course, reach people and help people. Then each and every Mental health and Addiction organization needs to see that having someone working in their organizations full time with lived experience needs to happen. They need to hire on people who have survived and who can speak their client’s language because they have been there and they can relate in so many ways.
Just like how “Why I Run” reaches people and gives them hope. Having someone there to work with who identifies with every aspect of there recovery will make a huge difference and will inspire and create the human connection which is lost in their lives.
As this 3 year anniversary comes I celebrate by knowing that I am helping people with every book, with every class I teach, with every talk I do!
Writing the into to “Why I Run” that morning started a life of purpose and a new direction that I never dreamed I would be traveling on in a million years! Holy Smokes my little book has worked!! And it blows my mind! I am just at the starting line of my life, my journey and so are you! There is a life time of experiences ahead of all of us! It is never to late to change and it is never to late to find your purpose your direction and happiness!
Below is the intro to “Why I Run” the first page I wrote that started journey!
Intro
I have gone 38 years living and only thinking about what people think of me.
I don't want anyone to think or know I’m crazy.
I’m embarrassed because I’m crazy.
I feel that I’m a burden on my friends if I talk to them and tell them how I feel. Friends and other people would always ask me, in a smart-ass way, two questions about why I run...
Where are you running to?
What are you running from?
These questions used to bother me. I would lie and say things like, I run to lose weight, or, I am running from fat. When I was being kind of a smart-ass myself, and felt like speaking a half-truth, I would say I am running from myself.....
I succeed in life
I am worth changing
I am not afraid to be happy, I deserve to be happy
I am not afraid to be myself
I am a strong and smart man I will beat depression!
“Only With open conversation can we break the stigma behind depression, let’s start talking and do it together”
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