Someone once asked me why I work hard on OPEN like there’s no tomorrow. Well, because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. Eleven years ago, almost to the day, God gave me a second chance at life.
I shouldn’t be alive today and back then, I really tried to “unalive” myself, but by some miracle, I survived the attempt. I knew then that there was more to me than I realized.
I began a journey of self discovery, unearthing my true Identity and finding a way to live intentionally and meaningfully.
Five years after that incident, I got hit with a medical diagnosis that completely changed my outlook and perspective, and also gave me renewed urgency for the work I do.
I have been living with Early Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis and a couple of other things since 2016, but instead of playing the victim, I use it as motivation to keep going as hard as I can. Remember, tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.
Why am I sharing this with you? Many times I get the “How do you do it?” question and the answer, as easy as it is, is difficult to swallow. As Jack Sparrow once said, ”The problem is not the problem, the problem is your attitude to the problem”.
Once you change your attitude towards that thing that seems to be the problem, your perspective will change and so will the actions that you then take.
Don’t let down times demotivate you, instead, let them be the wind beneath your wings, the fire within your bones and the strength in your feet, to keep propelling you.
Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Start today. Start now. Do something that generations to come will thank you for.
P.S: September is Unalive Prevention Month. Take time to educate yourself and those around you, about mental health issues, and check on your people. Tell them you love them. Someone might just need to hear you say it, to live another day.
