From My Box of Passion

I wouldn't say it's at the very top of the list of passions but I love talking about issues bordering on mental health and self-improvement. It all stems from my personal struggles and feelings that are often hard to voice out. It takes intentionality to go through each day and teaching myself how to be better and I love sharing that part of me with anyone that resonates with it.

In the society I live in, mental health care isn't one of our strongest points, you're either clowned on or told to toughen up by even close friends and family when you go through issues like insecurity, imposter syndrome, anxiety and depression. It gives me so much satisfaction to have conversations that shed the weight off people no matter how little it is.

Life gets overwhelming and people tend to hold all of the tension inside. Sometimes, all we need is to voice out our fears in order to begin overcoming them. For me, I like that community feeling of 'we're in this together' and it's one of the driving forces that would push my vision ahead.

Many times I think about a friend of mine back in school who I found out to be suicidal a year after I left school. I had many conversations with him on the phone before he died and a part of me blames myself for not being close enough to him while we were in school. I don't know what it is I would have said or done, it just feels like things would have turned out differently if we had these conversations earlier.

In these parts, people are not only judgemental but overly religious. I'm not one to dismiss people's feelings or tell them to take it to Jesus and I don't like when it's done to me. I would love to get to a point where I can create a safe space for people in need of a support group. A community where we can all lean on one another and no holds barred. For now, I attach myself to online communities and a few friends that help in this regard.

I want people to know it's okay to speak about the things they're ashamed to talk about, it's okay to feel emotions like anger or jealousy, and not beat themselves up because it makes them feel like bad people. Our upbringing and environment have a huge impact on our personalities and behaviors and I want people to know you can always unlearn and relearn for a better you. This is my passion.

I invite @lizzyblueart to the community and to share her passion with us by participating in the Ladies of Hive Week #51 contest.