Do you ever feel like you are just surviving life? Every moment is a struggle, an effort and leaves you feeling exhausted.
I want to let you know that you are not alone. I once felt like this, life was hard and I did not want to live the life I had. I had just come out as gay and I was watching the life I knew being torn apart. My faith, my relationships with family and friends and my general living became survival. Getting out of bed was my Mt. Everest and my world became very small. I became suicidal.
I used to listen to a song by a band called Swithfoot called “Thrive”.
The Chorus:
No, I’m not alright
I know that I’m not right
A steering wheel doesn’t mean you can drive
A warm body doesn’t mean I’m alive
No, I’m not alright
I know that I’m not right
Feel like I travel but I never arrive
I wanna thrive not just survive
This song captured how I felt and was part of the reason that led me to seek help. I could not live this thing called life in survival mode any longer. I wanted to remember what it was like to thrive and enjoy life once more.
I was already on anti-depressants and had been to counseling. My mum suggested hypnotherapy. At first, I resisted as the thought of going to see a stranger was overwhelming, let alone having to speak to one.
However, I went, not expecting anything. But being taught why my brain was doing what it was doing was empowering and for the first time in a long time, I felt there was a glimmer of hope.
Fast forward 5 years.
This month, I graduated as a Solution Focused Hypnotherapist (SFH). SFH has given me the steps to reconnect with myself, feel more in control, feel more motivated, feel brave and ultimately, feeling happy.
Now, I have the privilege of being able to help others the way that I was once helped. I have truly gone from survive to thrive.