Overcoming..

Our mental health has the power of creating heaven or hell for us, not only does it have a great influence on how we experience our day to day life, it is also something that we can influence back. But often we are not aware of this, often we don’t realise that most the time anxiety, despair, stress, powerlessness, worry etc. can be overcome with the right tools and perseverance. Of course, mental health is always on a scale and sometimes there are medical interventions that are necessary to achieve positive outcomes. But for most people, knowledge, introspection and shift in habits can go a long way for improving their quality of life.

I was inexperienced in my 20s so whilst I thought I was taking care of myself, I also didn’t spend sufficient time dissecting my core beliefs that were ultimately holding me back from feeling joy, happiness and a healthy level of self-esteem. I had observed so many wrong behaviours growing up, that I wasn’t even aware that I didn’t have the right templates to fall back on. Bad behaviour doesn’t have to be extreme, even simple day to day behaviours such as observing self-criticism in your parents or others you look up to, is enough to teach you beliefs and ways of being in the world that is not going to bring you joy or fulfilment.

This year I have been working really hard on identifying some of my core beliefs and understanding how they impact my life. I recognise that I’m just at the tip of the iceberg, but starting somewhere is better than no where.

This poem is written for anyone who may be going through their own struggles and still carrying pain from the past. It’s not meant to be easy, but it does get better and eventually you will be able to liberate yourself from your past and all that which you have been conditioned into. We are all able to overcome our own bad behaviours. With some help and perseverance, we can rebuild ourselves.

Overcoming:

I hear the wind blowing,

I see the sun shine,

The clouds are coming and going,

I’m having the best time,

Then I notice this knot in my stomach,

The thoughts flooding through,

I start questioning everything,

Do I mean anything to you?

These questions and thoughts,

They feel like truths,

But they’re not reality,

They’re memories from open wounds,

I’ve tried washing them out,

I’ve tried bandaging them up,

But I think what they really need,

Is some good old fashion love,

Some time to reflect on what has been lost,

To recognise that I did all that I could,

That I was not at fault,

Though time may have passed, but the wounds did not heal,

Avoiding pain doesn’t close the seal,

Sometimes we need courage,

Sometimes we need grit,

Sometimes we have to dive in deep,

And learn how to swim,

Sometimes we won’t learn,

So we have to keep on trying,

Sometimes it’s going to fail,

There is no shame in crying,

One day though, it will all work out,

It may not be what you imagined,

But it will still feel fulfilling no doubt,

The knot is gone, it’s no longer here,

I have been able to overcome the fears,

No more past, just the present,

In this moment, all is pleasant.