Next Steps!

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."— Martin Luther King Jr.

Last week, I wrote about my journey into darkness. If you haven't read it, visit sunflowers4life.com to read it. This week, I am blogging about next steps. I still struggle with the darkness (depression), but I am taking steps to walk through it toward the light.

I started my path out of darkness in the hospital. I needed to get my meds straightened out, and now they are working better. In my last blog, I wrote about attending IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program). I have now completed that program. I learned some coping skills and was reminded of others. It was a good experience for me.

My case manager suggested I attend After Care. I have will be attending that group for four weeks. I have gone twice, and it has been good. They encourage me to set reasonable daily goals. They have a check-in time where we share how we are doing. Then we discuss coping skills and check out. They want to make sure nothing has been triggered for anyone, and we close the meeting on a positive note.

Through all this “work,” I am moving toward happiness.

Today, my life isn’t perfect, but nobody’s life is.

These are the things I do. Some of these items may be helpful to you or a friend.

·      Spend time reading the Bible and a short devotional for encouragement.

·      The night before, I schedule on my calendar the things that have to get done. In the morning, I look at my schedule and start working toward having a successful day.

o   What kinds of things do I put on the schedule?

§  Clean the kitchen for ½ hour

§  Ride my recumbent bike for 15 minutes

§  Pick up my clothes

§  And the list goes on. I don’t include more than 3 major items on the list per day. I have to make sure I have enough time to work on grant writing.

·      I keep a gratitude journal

·      I stay in touch with friends

·      I work on setting and keeping my boundaries

I still feel like I am walking in a tunnel, but there is light, and it is not a train. To me, the light represents God’s love, a life worth living, and the ability to handle both the good and the bad.

After I posted the last blog, I felt vulnerable. I cannot express how grateful I am for the encouraging comments, texts, and emails I received. Many of you are part of my recovery journey.

What I want to leave you with is the importance of gratitude. I am finding that the more grateful I am, the more I want to smile! As this next week progresses, find things to be thankful for and reasons to smile!

Have a great week!