Not too long ago, I had a friend ask me why I had not done a podcast episode about
overcoming depression. When he asked me this, I quickly explained the premise of my podcast.
Strategy Rewind focuses on the strategies used to gain a breakthrough moment. I cannot talk about something that I have not gone through; therefore, I haven’t done an episode of depression because I haven’t gone through depression. My friend looked at me and said: “you must not read the symptoms of depression. Read the symptoms.”
That night, I kept thinking of what he said. And a few days later, I was still thinking of what he had said. So I finally decided to search online for the symptoms of depression.
The symptoms for guys include weight change, change in appetite, things you once felt passionate about no longer excite you, trouble concentrating or making decisions, among other things.
When I read this, I began to think of a time I felt this way, and I couldn’t deny there was a time when my mother passed away. More specifically, I felt this way as the days passed after my mother was laid to rest. I felt as though I was responsible for keeping her memory alive, a burden that became too heavy for me to bear.
I was in college at the time, making the dean’s list and feeling great! But that burden was like bricks tied to my ankles. Even when I tried to move forward, I felt stuck. Even when I kept working on all the projects and meeting all the deadlines, it wasn’t the best of me. Ultimately, I stopped…dropped so many things.
Finally, after some time, I knew I couldn’t live this way. My wife kept asking if I was okay, but I wasn’t - I was just numb.
The first thing I did was look around to the blessing I had. I couldn’t deny that I had too many blessings to allow myself to live that way. I had two little girls at the time, and I had to move forward. I had stopped going to college, as at that time, the burden I was caring dragged me to a place where I had lost the passion even to study or pressure more. But I knew I had too many blessings which I had been trusted with and none more significant than my marriage and fatherhood. Coming from a broken home, the fear was I’d produce the same, and I knew I couldn’t through away what God had trusted me with.
The next step I had to do was really make some changes. Not just my mindset and perspective, but habits. I am so grateful because my wife, without me knowing it, started moving my resume on indeed. I remember she came up to me one day and said, as for this day off. I thought it was because she had scheduled a doctor’s appointment for me, but indeed, she had made it so that I could have an interview on that particular day. Changing jobs was such a refresher, but I was already changing my mindset and habits before this.
It is interesting how by protecting a blessing, the blessing saved me.
Another thing that helped was serving others. I started to develop training programs in my local church. Teaching, mentoring, training, none of these things can be done in negativity - not if you wish to be effective. As I served, I focused on my talents and the possibilities.
By focusing on the blessing, I had, changing my routines, and serving others, I could really get out of that funk. As I severed, I became grateful for those talents and gifts God has entrusted me with. As I severed, I maintained positive in the journey. As I changed my routines, my mindset changed, and my attitude followed.
I am so grateful that my wife helped me in the way she did because I had lost the desire to contribute to a job that required all of my attention and patients. It was a job that one could not be halfway in nor fake to make it.
Protect your blessing, and they will protect you.
I’m Miguel, and the above is just my opinion. Are you looking for more content like this? Here’s a complete list of articles and information for a free 30 Minute strategy session. Here's what I’m doing now and what I don’t do. I’d love it if you listened to my podcast, Strategy Rewind.
