“The Only Thing That Is Constant Is Change” – Heraclitus

If you’ve ever had to start over I understand your pain.

When I was twenty four I had a mental breakdown that took my marriage, house and children with it, leaving me the shell of my former self.

It took a year of hard work to get back on my feet and functioning again to a point where I started to make progress.

Then it happened again. In fact it happened three times in a five year period.

Every time it happened it stripped away everything I had worked hard to get. It took away my desire to want to try to achieve anything ever again. It was downright soul destroying.

The culprit?

Bipolar disorder.

I will never forget the feeling of absolute emptiness that followed an episode of depression or mania. The bitter pang of realisation that I had to work hard all over again to get back to where I was, only for it to possibly come crashing down around me later with no warning was tough to accept.

So I’m no stranger to adversity.

I want to share with you how I managed to bounce back and take control of my life. This goes for anybody, not just for those of us who battle a mental health condition.

The number one thing that was preventing me from going after my dreams was simply a lack of motivation. My lack of motivation was caused by my pattern of working towards something then losing it again.

I needed to get motivated if I was to ever achieve anything in life.

Focus on the Journey Rather Than the Destination

Whenever I focused on achieving something it would stir up crippling anxiety due to the worry that I might become unwell again and my progress would be ruined.

I knew I couldn’t live like this forever. I had to see things with a new perspective. Instead, I decided to focus on the process and merely consider the result. That way I was able to work towards achieving something meaningful whilst in the back of my mind I knew there was a possibility it might go wrong, but it didn’t really matter as long as I was enjoying the here and now.

The Sun Will Shine Again

A valuable take away from experiencing three mental breakdowns in short succession gave me the ability to see life through a different lens. I realised that everything that is happening to us, either positive or negative, are events simply passing through our lives. Situations are temporary. It was with this epiphany that I started to feel enthusiastic about my future. What happens to us doesn’t dictate our future and even if events repeat themselves they’ll only be temporary.

Are You a Quitter?

I worked hard to change my outlook on life and once I cemented the above points into my mind I started to get mentally stronger. I wasn’t going to let Bipolar Disorder kick me to the curb anymore. I decided that I will reach my goals, whatever the circumstance. This motivation was bred from the sheer determination to make something of myself. I had come to the conclusion that I am just as deserving, capable and worthy of reaching my goals as anyone else on Earth, and so are you.

I’m not saying life will be easy.

Sometimes you’ll struggle. But don’t let your circumstances stop you. @livelifecalmer (Click to Tweet!)

No matter what you are going through, you can find the courage to carry on, even if you have nothing left.

I did it three times so I know you can do it.

I believe in you.

Russell Smitheram learned how to ease the burden of daily stress following a health crisis that changed his life. Learn how you too can break free from the overwhelming pace of daily life. Start feeling happier and more fulfilled today when you grab his free guide ‘3 Habits That Turn Chaos into Calm’ at LiveLifeCalm.com.

Image courtesy of tpsdave.