Controversies are what sells. Sadly, that’s been going on since the first newspaper was ever printed. Maybe we have to accept that. But as advocates, when the controversy…or the “train wreck”…or the fall from grace has a turnaround, WE can be the ones to hold hands & put it out there & make sure folks know.
When Naomi Osaka pulled out of the French Open amidst controversy last yr – it’s not like there wasn’t a lot of other news going on arnd the world (understatement). And despite all else we were hearing abt globally, bc Naomi chose to share her battles on Instagram before telling Roland Garros….bc it was unusual for a player to say they would compete on the court but not go to press conferences…bc talk of MH struggles was a hot topic & a highly ranked player was taking a controversial stance, this story was ALL over the media.
Well it’s a yr later now. Naomi, dawning a smile, but open abt some jitters coming back, is AT the very same tournament – The French Open, that she pulled out of controversially, speaking to reporters. She took some MH breaks over this yr & she appears ready to go.
We don’t know if this is “for good”…as MH is something we can work hard on, but we don’t have ultimate control on when it flares up. Why isn’t Naomi’s COMEBACK as big of a deal as her “crash” that the whole world was reporting on? Well, controversy is what sells.
But the bigger story here that we as advocates need to get out there is that – you can have your burnout…you can have your crash…& you can come back, perform, & potentially even perform better than you ever have in the past, bc of the strength, resiliency, & perspective you’ve gained.
We applaud athletes & make big deals when they come back from gruesome physical injuries – happens in the NHL almost every game. We don’t do the same w MH injuries, & we need to start to.
That will change the landscape of what it means to go thru MH challenges – not just on the athletic fields – but in our offices…in the game of life. Overcoming those struggles builds character & strength. We need to be the ones yelling that from the mountaintops so that the word gets out there!
