Has life ever dealt you such a challenging hand that you not only didn't know how to play it, but you didn't know if you could play it? If so, me too!
Today, I share with you the story of how my family lost everything we had, including our mental health, and also how we recovered, overcame, and climbed out of it as a team.
And here's a trigger warning:
Although I'm the happiest, most resilient person I know, this is a story of how I got here from rock bottom. And when I say rock bottom, I mean being millimeters away from killing myself, which I share in explicit detail in this episode.
Although your struggles might be different from my struggles (and I hope not as brutal), you are not alone.
You’re tougher than you know, and capable of handling way more than you could imagine.
This story is proof that there’s always room for hope, and there's beauty and growth to be found in even the most painful circumstances.
And if you are in the middle of a struggle right now, please hang in there. You have got this.
Key Highlights
- I share my wild experience getting mental health counseling for the first time and what I felt after expressing the uncomfortable, suppressed emotions that came up while working through my grief and trauma.
- As a firefighter, it was crazy to see how brave we were to run into burning buildings, yet we were too scared to investigate or express our feelings and emotions.
- Chronic pain caused by my injuries at work were accompanied by a sudden, unwelcome retirement. Within a few months, my whole life and my family’s lives fell apart
- (TW) Suicide - Suicide and suicidal ideation isn’t selfish. It’s not logical or rational, it’s a manifestation of extreme pain. One deep breath was what saved my life…
- My wife and I started working on our mental and emotional health in new, more powerful ways, and we included our kids in this endeavor.
- I took meditation masterclasses for stress and chronic pain reduction. These mental and emotional exercises are what catapulted me into a journey of cultivating inner peace, taking control of my pain, and processing my grief and trauma.
- At the end of the day, love wins and life DOES get better.
Resources to increase your inner peace and maximize your happiness:
Download my free mental & emotional fitness eBook, Your Guide to Grit Growth & Gratitude: https://www.thejoespector.com/opt-in
Check out my free meditations to shut off the monkey mind and crank up the good vibes: https://www.thejoespector.com/meditations
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Let’s Connect!
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