Life.

In my line of work, I am constantly given individuals that are at risk of harming themselves or others. My job? To stabalize them. Give them other options and tools on how to express their feelings rather than suicide or homicide. Anyone in this line of work can probably relate to the overwhelming responsibility this can be. Dealing with something like this yesterday, had me thinking about it on my drive home from Norwalk (which took forever by the way!). What is life? What does it mean to live? I used to co-teach DBT group and talk about mindfullness and the importance to just be in the moment. Teaching this to adolescent females wasn't the easiest thing to do, but it worked.

Try it!!..

Right now, pause in your reading. Take a deep breath and feel your stomach moving in and out. Feel the oxygen coming into your body and then leaving when you exhale. Listen, what do you hear? Notice your fingers? Feel each one, then your hand, arm, and shoulders. What do you smell? Notice where you are, what is around you? Take another deep breath in and out.

I do this every morning when I wake up and right before I go to bed (if I don't fall asleep doing homework). Just being in the moment, realizing what you have around you, that otherwise I wouldn't even realize.I work in a field that is full of hopelessness and depression. Full of individuals that depend on me to find them a meaning to life. To open their eyes and see what they have around them. Better yet, who they have around them. But I forget that I come home to me. I walk through those doors and forget about the most important person in my life. How in the world do I think I can help others, if I can even help myself?

I believe that this is something that a lot of us struggle with. It is so important to not forget about you. So after a long day of work, come home and work on you. Go to the gym, for a walk, watch a TV show or read a book. Whatever it is that works to build a better, happier version of yourself. Do it! Just never forget about your own support system. Who you have in your life that help to make you a better you. Those individuals that support you, guide you, and are there by your side for whatever it is.

Life can be a beautiful thing. Don't ever take it for granted, some haven't been able to realize how beautiful it actually is yet.