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| Be a Beast and face your challenges head-on! Picture by: Saumitra Newalkar |
Most of you might perceive this blog as a dedicated “Travel Blog” but I wish to change that. I plan to start addressing many incomprehensible topics like mental health, mental illnesses and the false banalities that surround them.
Yes, I’m going off the beaten path and into the wilderness (couldn’t resist using a travel-related platitude!) to do something unconventional.
Why this sudden drastic change in my writing you ask?
Certain incidences in my life and in the lives of those around me over the past year have greatly affected me. It has dawned upon me that the harshness and adversity with which life treats you ultimately reflects in your way of life. I am getting a little personal here but only because it is of importance that these discussions take place. My motorcycle accident, losing my grandfather, undergoing 6 major surgeries, partial paralysis of my dominant hand, the uncertainty of complete recovery, multiple restrictions while walking, unemployment, dependency on parents and learning about the passing away of someone who I knew very well; all this has happened in the past 10 months.
Coming across even a couple of these situations can easily shatter
a person’s will and uproot their life, but I don’t scare easy or truthfully, I never.
Such experiences can induce anxiety, depression, frustration and emotional turmoil
that isn’t very appealing. To add to this, a person suffering from any mental
illness can find it tumultuous to stay motivated and positive.
Personal Experience is the greatest teacher
I am tough as nails with a robust willpower, but since my
accident and the events that have followed, at times even I get this uneasy
feeling as though there’s a huge void in me and the end is nigh. Over the past
couple of months, I have realised that when faced with situations similar to
those I’m facing, one needs nothing but HOPE. We need something to hold on to. I
have noticed that the sources of inspiration
and motivation to keep a positive
outlook are scant in this rather self-centred world.
It is YOU who must want to keep fighting
When you realise that there’s nothing to hold on to, that
makes giving up on life and dreams seem like the best and only option. THAT’S
NOT TRUE! Quitting or surrendering to the circumstances should never be an
option, irrespective of the severity of one’s circumstances. Everything may
seem to be crumbling down to dust as though the world in its entirety is
shattering and there’s nothing but pain to look forward to.
STOP!
It is easy to get demoralised and lose all hope when you can’t
even walk to the supermarket or when you have a mental health issue and
everyone else treats you like an outcast. They can’t comprehend your problems
and the degree to which they torment you. To further complicate things, the
stigma that plagues the discussions about these topics at times engulfs even
those closest to you.
You talk and let others listen rather than the opposite
If you have met with something tragic like me or if you suffer
from mental illnesses like Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar Disorder (BPD) or Attention
Deficit/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) and feel like
giving up, I would only say to you what Gautam Buddha taught thousands of his students:
“This
Too Shall Pass.” Open up about
your troubles to those you feel comfortable with or you think might understand and
listen to you without any judgement.
Even though it might be unprecedented, take to various social
media platforms or online forums that dedicate themselves to serious and genuine
conversations about these sensitive topics. A healthy discussion online will
always seem much more effective than spending a couple of hours in a place that
makes you uncomfortable. But Beware! Doing this can make you a target of
innumerable cynics and bigots who will make it their mission to knock you down.
You must master the art of Filtering out these pessimistic conversations and
make do with what comes out the other end. Denzel Washington once said, “Give
other people’s opinions their right significance. Take advice if it is
constructive, and learn from it. But do not build your life based around the
opinions of others. Trust yourself and trust your choices.”
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| Stay Positive |
I ain’t giving up and neither should you!
Many of my relatives and friends are under the impression that
after going through such treacherous times, I will give up the thought of
travelling and stay affixed to one place. They couldn’t be more wrong! Travel
is my way of life, it is what I live for and nothing, not even a permanent
handicap can stop me. I think this is applicable to everyone who has
conflicting notions about their present and future. If you love something that
makes you happy, or rather makes you who you are, then don’t let it go. Just
jump in with both feet, to hell with the consequences.
NEVER GIVE UP!
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