Now THAT'S a cover!

This.

>>>

B.I.G. Baby Magic

Who knows, this may be one of the great secrets in life... 

On the Count of...

One.

We don't have until three anymore. That's a truth that's been slapping me in the face since I was old enough to see, and continued to do so until I was wise enough to understand: Now.

We don't have until the count of three.

It's finally made itself very clear. We get one life. One shot. One change to give it all that we've got. And if we miss that chance, it will forever go down in history as a missed opportunity. More opportunities may present themselves along the way, but that one right there and that one right there ::points to the missed opportunities back in the day:: ... !?!

In your real-life timeline, you can't delete posts and click resubmit. Once you've missed an opportunity, you've missed yet another opportunity.

Nobody may see it...

It might not be a big deal...

It may not have been important...

But like the refrigerator magnet read-- the little square one that I saw at my sister's house back in the day, with the black background and the white letters and the simple font boldly printed--, "If you don't have time to do it right the first time, when will you have time to go back and fix it?"

So noted.

Life is too short to keep moving forward without the intention of giving it your all and doing it right. You don't get another one of those if you mess it up the first time. You get to live in the dash, or wonder forever why you were merely a hyphen in time. You don't get a second chance at life. You don't get a second chance at now.

I finally get it.

No more counting to three. Those days are over.

I'm ready to take on the new challenges the first time around.

...at the very moments when the opportunities present themselves.

In this moment, I feel like I have serenity to accept the things that I cannot change (the past), courage to change the things I can (the future), and just a bit of wisdom to know the difference... (got some of that just now). And I'll continue to pray the same prayer to renew these senses in me daily. The first time around, as well as each time around.


And so, to the reality that's been trying to present itself to me since I was old enough to see, but not wise enough to understand, do you know what I say?

I say I'm on one.

"Yeah f*** it I'm on one."

.
.
.

One.

Can't Stand (how much I love) Her.

Practice... what you preach...

I always like to compare working in mental health to working in the medical field...
People need a mental physical, or wellness checks if you will, and would probably benefit from at least one visit to a clinician per year. People go through periods of mild mental illness, like catching a cold, and would benefit from brief treatment. And there are some moderate-to-severe and acute mental illnesses that require specialized treatment by therapists, and those should be available for the public as well.

Though I make these comparisons, I hesitate to express this viewpoint with those outside the field, especially with my clients, because I don't want to be compared to doctors. I just want people to realize that mental health is just as important to maintain as physical health, and that going to see a clinician, or a therapist, or a counselor, or whatever you want to call the person you are "working with," is not so bad.

I say these things... but why is it so damn hard for some people (especially those with no exposure to talk-therapy prior to learning about it) to engage for ourselves? Why do we set ourselves up to do the same thing as the lay, in not seeking treatment?

Well, maybe it isn't hard for everyone, but it damn sure is hard for me to think about the idea and consider its practicality.

There's still this notion of "I don't need (or really, like asking for) help."
People who ask for help are weak, and I'm not.
I can handle my stuff on my own.
I've got this.

...the same as the uninformed.

for some.

Really? Because the last time I checked, we were often preaching the importance of seeking treatment, of "seeing someone," of taking care of business. It's important. It's necessary. It's critical for continued wellness... But in reality, many people are not seeking treatment. We are walking around with the world on our shoulders, carrying the weight of everyone around us as if it is our burden alone to bear. But life still happens. And in the same way that we see many people who reach a point where they feel they can no longer handle life, anyone not in treatment should wonder, when will the same happen to me?

So I said to myself... I said, "Self?"
myself said "Huh?"
I said "Self, make an appointment."

...and the other preachers too should follow.