It’s OK to not be OK!

World Mental Health Day (10 October) is a day for global mental health education, awareness, and advocacy against social stigma. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries.

After spending 30 years as a paramedic and front-line leader, I have lived and seen the effects of what mental un-wellness can do to oneself, to family, to co-workers and to those that you have contact with.

When I ask someone how they are doing and hear, “I’m fine.” To me, fine means coping. There are no emotions attached to being fine.

What does it really mean?

Coping may appear to look like survival it certainly is not thriving. Many of us, including myself at times have settled for survival, hoping that someday things may change and get better.

For me, someday never came until I learned to take control of those aspects that were driving me away from not just surviving, but to thrive in this chaos, called living.

Here are a few things I have learned:

• I have ups and downs, times of struggle and times of joy
• I have the power to move past my circumstances and get through those times of struggle, pain, loss or those dark valleys of life
• Acceptance is a function of happiness
• Participation is a function of wellness and health
• External solutions are temporary, Internal ones last
• I have choice

Here is an info-graph that may help in coming up with those words to truly state your well-being.

When you accept it and state it to someone (a total stranger might not be a great idea but I think you know what I mean), there is a sense of relief that you will feel. The next steps are healing steps and there is help out there.

You can move from survive to thrive!

RICK RUPPENTHAL is a professional Personal and Leadership Transformational Coach and a Certified Change Practitioner. As a retired paramedic of 30 years, Rick has held positions in leadership, education, as a coach and a mentor. Through those experiences, understanding, and adaptability, Rick has dedicated his life to a continual journey of self-discovery, adventure, and guiding others on their own journey of being their best self.

If you would like to learn more, please subscribe to my newsletter email list. Periodically (I promise I don’t spam or will fill your email box with useless information) I will send you some insights on thriving in this chaos called life.