So, what gets you out of bed? Can rediscovering your passion help you heal?
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I consider myself blessed with a curse. I know, I know – it’s a bit of an oxymoron to say, nonetheless it’s true. Here, let me explain. Firstly, having a dual mental-illness diagnosis is not exactly pleasant to say the least, nor was it part of my life plan. But nonetheless, here I am.
Secondly, while it’s true that it’s less than Ideal, I have however, been fortunate enough to have a passion to help others. This life-long desire to help has been strong enough to fight its way past depression’s mindset, to overcome to some degree the hellish ride of PTSD and push past my fear of everything thanks to anxiety.
When I finally put the two together, it gave me a little something I like to call purpose. Essentially, I took lemons and made lemonade. Or at least, that’s what I try to do every day.
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When I look at all the things that keep me going, my desire to help others is near the top. For instance, this blog, The Road To Mental Wellness, gives me a reason to put my feet on the floor every morning. The prospect that I might be inspiring or helpful to others in some way gives me a reason to get out of bed. Perhaps even more important, it gave me the strength to stay out of bed. At least more often. More is good, right?
So, what gives you purpose? What gets you out of bed in the morning, the afternoon or even after a week? The good thing about searching for your meaning is, your efforts can give you, at a minimum, a temporary purpose. This may energize you enough to not only start your search, but it may be the catalyst that keeps you going. Putting in the time, you will spark a whole new love for something.
One of the most valuable lessons for me while I slug through this hellhole of illness is this: no matter how tough things are, reinventing myself and my place in the world has helped me to move forward. I’m getting there in part because I’ve asked myself questions like these:
Discovering your Passion
- What skills did I have previous to my illness that can help me rediscover my purpose? For example, I was a helper for most of my life. Therefore, how many helping options are out there that I CAN do?
- With limitless potential in the world to find a new passion, what do you have to do to go about finding one? In your own quest, write down all the things you find even remotely interesting and try giving each of them a good go before deciding whether you like it or not.
- What have you done about that “pipe dream” you have always wanted to do? In my case, it was writing. So, I am now a published author. Will I be rich? Probably not, but I did it, I fulfilled a very old pipe dream. Redefine your dreams – they don’t have to make you money. Trust me, it didn’t diminish the feeling of fulfillment or deprive me of the joy. And yes, it can give you the motivation you need to carry forward.
Having the courage to follow through with my passion liberated me to an extent. I had a goal in front of me and as a result, I had something productive to pursue.
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The result of which was amazing! I was out of bed more; I woke up with a renewed sense of anticipation.
I could make plans and coordinate with others in relation to making my book a reality. Essentially, it was the kick in the ass that I needed.
While it’s far from being a cure, it has been very therapeutic and has led me closer to the light of the living. Exploring my dream really has been a powerful force for healing. So, tell me, what gets you out of bed.
