A wise gentleman who I look at as one of my mentors, former NBA referee, & #SameHere🤙 Alliance Member, Bob Delaney, sent me this image yesterday via email. It hit me in such a profound way bc of the following:
I get a lot of ppl writing in & saying: Eric, I’d love to share my story but – I’m still struggling, & so I’m not a hero…bc I’m not strong.
It hurts me that many think that way. Here’s the reality: whether you are at the bottom of the barrel in terms of how you feel, just starting to climb out, or all the way on the other side looking back, you are VERY much strong & very much a hero if you share your story, in the hopes that you will help even one person relate & not feel alone.
What defines someone as strong or as a hero is not that they’ve overcome a challenge. It’s how they are dealing with a particular challenge, & how they choose to help others along the way.
We ALL struggle, and even in the examples above, those who may be on “the other side looking back” unfortunately don’t know when the next curve ball is going to be thrown. We all fluctuate on a MH continuum that puts us at different places at different times of our lives. We don’t control everything…but we do control how we HANDLE what is thrown at us.
Maybe it’s not public as a hero story on a platform like this…maybe it’s privately with one person…but sharing & being there for one another to show someone/some people they are not alone is the definition of being strong & THEIR hero. Don’t take the power that you have lightly. Even in the struggle there is a lot to relate to & learn from!
