The journey continues
Well, I can hardly believe that it has been a year since my last blog! And just short of 18 months since I began my mentokc journey.
I am experiencing a range of emotions at the moment
Firstly, the last blog I posted was an exceptionally emotive one to me. I felt like I was being very vulnerable and letting people see the real me. This was confronting and challenging, but ultimately very cathartic. I have had growth as a person from this blog. The aspect that stands out to me is the people that have in private thanked me for being ok with touching on and sharing my experiences with mental illness.
One of my takeaways from the experience has been the impact of self-stigma and the worry I had that people may think less of me due to my experiences of life. Overwhelmingly I have had positive feedback. People have also been able to be more open and honest with me about their experiences of life and mental illness.
Quotes that resonate
As those close to me know, I do love a good quote. I am going to share a few that resonate with me from Carl Jung and have really shaped my journey and experiences over the last year or so.
‘The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.’
This quote represents how I go about life and business. I am looking to transform and to be transformed.
One of the things that I most enjoy about my role and my business is that I get to learn. I love learning and I love to be curious. In every conversation I have with a person I get to see how they view the world, how they experience the world. It is exceptionally powerful and very humbling for a person to share their truth with you.
‘Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.’
This is representative of the last couple of blogs I’ve posted. I have been on a journey with myself for a period of time now. Many things I haven’t shared with the wider world have come from some truths that I haven’t wanted to accept from myself. As I say self-stigma can be challenging – I am pleased to say that I have awakened.
‘I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.’
For a long period of time, I let my experiences of mental illness and my fears get in the way of me being me. As I reflect on it now, my experiences have led me to be the man that I am today. I would not change them. In fact, some of the best skills and greatest strengths I have are in part derived from and learnt during pretty terrible times in my life.
Where to from here?
It has been an amazing year of growth, discovery and curiosity. I am exceptionally excited to share that with you. The trouble is that I’m not going to fit that all into one blog! So, fingers crossed it doesn’t take me another 12 months to get another blog posted!
I think generally you are supposed to put in a call to action here or some such thing. So, here’s mine, if any of what I have said in here resonates with you. Or if you think that I can positively impact you, your business, your people – reach out and let’s chat. I am looking to transform and to be transformed.