I had a chance to be a part of an online panel to talk with other
professionals in various fields. It was a small group, but I hope to do it
again. Here is what I shared.
Self Introduction
I’ve dealt with depression, anxiety, PTSD and OCD for the
past 15 years. The hardest thing I’ve lost was my little sister in 2013 to an
accidental drug overdose. I wrote a memoir as a way to process my experience
and provide hope to others who have lost someone or insight for those who want
to understand this type of loss.
I want to share four steps to dealing with a difficult
circumstance, negative self-talk, depression, and/or anxiety. I’m not a
professional but I’ve had some hands-on experience…i.e., myself.
Although I’m not a counselor, I am a trained pastor. This is where my passion lies, which is speaking truth when all we hear are lies about ourselves. With that in
mind, I have a few simple, yet profound ideas to share.
Four steps to get out of that rut:
Step 1: There is always hope!
You have to believe that the best days of your life are still in front of you. No matter how bad you feel today, tomorrow you could experience relief. Just as much bad that you worry about there is an equal opportunity for good.
Do not believe the lie that there
will never be a good day to experience in the future.
Step 2: Count your blessings!
Focus on what you do have and learn gratitude. Conversely, comparison will kill your gratitude. Entitlement will kill your gratitude. Humility is when you realize life is a gift and you don’t deserve any more than the person next to you.
Do not believe the lie that being
someone else will make your life better.
Step 3: Find your faith!
Arguably, you can attribute your failures and successes to chance, a luck of the draw. However, you can start to realize you have faith and you have put it somewhere. You can find faith within yourself and your abilities, you can find faith in good outweighing through bad, you can put faith that things will just work out the way they are supposed to our you can still go the traditional route and put your faith in a higher power. I once heard that in the face of adversity, faith and doubt are equally logical conclusions. Choose faith.
Do not believe the lie that faith is for the weak.
Step 4: Step out of your comfort zone!
Take on one challenge or do one new thing this month. Doing this panel in front of strangers is a simple way for me to challenge myself and pursue a dream of being an inspirational speaker. When everyone is forced to be in some form of isolation, you have to work harder to connect with people and do things that are uncomfortable. While it may seem easier to let the world go by, the world needs your gifts and your talents.
Do not believe the lie that you have nothing to offer.
Moving forward is the goal, don’t be stuck in today, when tomorrow comes.
But, if you do find yourself still stuck in what becomes yesterday, remind yourself of step 1,
there is always hope.
In Truth & Love
Matthew J Diaz
Featured Image: charpiearts