There are a handful of moments I replay in my head: being 10 years old and feeling bullied by classmates and reacting by hitting one of them, the times I’ve spent trying to numb pain or impatience by playing on my iPhone, the sorrow and despair I’ve felt when feeling like a failure, powerless or not being heard.

In all of these incidences, I wish I could pause time. I wish I could hug that 10-year-old that felt scared and that 30-something year old that felt powerless, afraid, and anxious.

Because in every scenario, I did not pause, take a deep breath and choose wisely. I reacted instead. I reacted out of fear and I gave away the opportunity to do something different.

Our posts this week all offer you a chance to change the way you approach what’s not working in your life. Instead of continuing to react the way you have been, you will get a fresh new perspective, an alternative way of perceiving an old and persistent problem. Time cannot be stopped nor paused, but in knowing a better way, you can learn from your past, alter your present and in doing so, have a more hopeful future.

*The last two mental health heroes are from our own team. Find out who they are here and here.

Continue reading… »