I looked at my life and how I'd been ruled by fear....and I hate it... But haven't done much about it. I may take a baby step here or there, but something in my subconscious looks at the current state and I'd get discouraged or say how the hell is this gonna take shape. "I'll never be able to do this the way they are doing it." "They make this sh*t look so damn easy, how?" And then I sit and dig back into my comfort prison of doubt, fear, and disbelief.

Because Connections Make a Difference. How else can we relieve the pressures we carry from society and our preconceived endless laundry list of responsibilities and duties, without being shunned that we are copping out? That we aren't Man Enough? That we're weak and need to bottle up our emotions and show some damn grit? We have to have some sort of support.

Physical effort, at a subconscious level, reinforces what we've been taught to believe as "our truth," based on someone else's guidance and interpretation. Or better yet, based on societal standards that are never really questioned, just accepted so that we fit in and look the part. We reinforce the beliefs and values stored in our minds through physicality - and yet, we PUSH OUR MINDS TO THE SIDE!

Anger, Revenge, and premeditated Violence became his strange bedfellow when he went to sleep at night. Days bled to Night, Night phased into day. His eyes would never rest neither would his body. Thoughts of winning danced in his head while trauma punched at his chest. A sadness, a regret he couldn't express. Because no one would understand. How a man so strong could be a boy so weak.

Little did I know, when I started living on my own, resentment and judgement lodged into my subconscious mind that didn’t really start showing until I became a parent. I want to share what those resentments are, and how I have, or plan to bury the hatchet to live free of family conflict. We'll start with the sins of my father. 

Brother, you matter! Your story matters! Your legacy matters! Why? You heal as you tell it. Yourself, but you also can heal and awaken others. You can inspire others to dig deep, to get the help even with tears in their eyes. Even with the feeling of pins and needles. When you heal and safeguard your mind, you energize your soul and communicate better to your heart. You feel lighter inside, and your body learns to respond in kind.

In the spirit of Men's Mental Health Month, I'm dropping this classic tale of my Mental Health journey and how I am Embracing Transformation. It's a highlight of everything I'd had to endure, and in some ways still wrestle with as I re-calibrate myself moment to moment. It's my hope that this serves as an inspiration to those that are struggling similarly or struggling at all to take the steps needed to heal and get back on track. Let's get into the pit of who I am.

Mental Health over the past couple of years has become an increasingly important part of our overall wellness as human beings. However, there are several reasons why people opt-out of ongoing therapy sessions: The imbalance of need vs number of practitioners, heightened costs due to the need, lack of empathy and down-to-earth understanding of therapists, and the fear of being JUDGED. 

Been silent when I should have spoken. Spoken too much when maybe to the silence I should have listened. Reached out outside the bond and got too close. When emotions drifted away from me. The connection severed by the shades of the unknown The phantoms in our subconscious, our souls become strangers.