Finding 'Mike'

I was very lucky yesterday to hear a talk by Johnny Benjamin a mental health campaigner, author and vlogger about his mental health journey.  In January 2014 Johnny launched a social media campaign called Find 'Mike' to search for the stranger who talked him out of taking his own life in 2008. The purpose of the campaign was to raise awareness of suicide and mental illness. It went viral and received global media attention. Within just two weeks Jonny found the stranger he was looking for, Neil Laybourn. The story of the campaign was made into a documentary film that was released in May 2014.
Hearing Johnny speak about his experiences as a young man and the events that took him to the bridge that day moved many of us to tears. The intervention of 'Mike', who we now know is called Neil, saved Johnny's life,'

he said “things can get better”, and that he suggested the pair go for a coffee'.
When Johnny was taking questions at the end of his talk one of my colleagues said how it had struck her that Neil was not a doctor or mental health professional that for her the story was made more amazing because it was about the intervention of an ordinary stranger going about their ordinary day and having an extraordinary impact on someone else' life. That for her the point of the story was about how we all could be 'Mike' in another's life, not necessarily by talking people down off of a bridge but with our every day interactions with those around us. For Johnny one of the most powerful things Neil  gave him was his belief that Johnny could recover, Neil gave Johnny hope when he had none.

What are you afraid of?

Ever heard of the Jonah Complex?  Wikipedia describes it 'as the fear of success which prevents self-actualization, or the realization of one's potential. It is the fear of one's own greatness, the evasion of one's destiny, or the avoidance of exercising one's talents. Just as the fear of achieving a personal worst can motivate personal growth, the fear of achieving a personal best can also hinder achievement.'

Marianne Williamson, in  A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles" Wrote, 

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” 

Often we are well aware of those things that scare us externally not realising how much we are holding ourselves back internally, telling ourselves it's OK not to push for promotion; " I'm not that kind of person." Or our ideas are not good enough until, someone else comes along with that same idea and reaps the rewards. How are you preventing yourself from becoming all you can be today, what do you need to do to let your light shine? 

Getting Back to Basics

Feeling tired, drained or worn out? It's quite a common sensation these days and it seems to be getting worse.  

Many of us are working long hours, feeling under pressure to put in the extra effort but to what cost? Stress levels are climbing and feelings of tiredness and sometimes exhaustion, can become quite overwhelming. These feelings and sensations can leave us frazzled and feeling unable to manage every day problems and issues, leaving some wondering if they are depressed as they notice their resilience erode, their anxiety levels increase sometimes culminating in panic attacks, it can seem like a vicious circle.

If this is resonating with you then it might be worth considering one or some of the following that may assist in regaining that lost resilience or energy. 

• Are you eating regularly? We cannot run on empty, our bodies start triggering flight, fight or freeze mode when it feels low on fuel;

• Are you getting enough rest / sleep? Burning the candle at both ends is not sustainable, you feel fatigued and and start to make mistakes;

• Are you drinking enough water? Dehydration can be found as a root cause for many headaches and other ailments. They say that if you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated;

• Could your physical health be affecting your emotional and psychological self? A simple blood test with your GP would be able to check your general health and any vitamin deficiencies or other ailments you may be experiencing. For example, a low iron count would leave someone feeling extremely tired and no amount of rest on it’s own would resolve the deficiency; 

• Are you getting enough regular physical exercise? This may seem like a contradiction when talking about tiredness, yet our bodies thrive with regular physical exercise. Be kind to yourself, work within your limits, ring fence some time each day.

The most important thing you can do is take time for you.