I was really miserable for a really long time.

I struggled and struggled and read and researched and tried everything.

I took solace in medication, and then felt heartbroken and desperate and out of control when I realized it wasn't working anymore.

I blamed the people around me, my job, my upbringing, myself.

I isolated myself and called it "being an introvert."

I slept in my bathtub for hours and hours every night because I couldn't face standing up and getting out.

I held my own hand in my bed in the middle of the night when I had no idea what else to do.

I argued about how depression was a legitimate disease and that it wasn't my choice, and how it's hereditary and how no one understands. And I got defensive and angry when anyone suggested I could do anything to fix it, even though I wanted nothing more than to fix it. And being a victim of depression became my identity.

And after years and years of struggle I couldn't live that way anymore, and I figured it out. And I'm ok now. And I have a life that I'm excited about. The world feels like a crazy cool beautiful funny place. And I'm so glad to be here. My mind works for me now. I have a vision board with all kinds of crazy dreams on it, and I'm happy and full of hope. And even if none of them ever came true, I wouldn't mind. I'm letting go of all my fears and redefining everything. I'm rewriting my story.

I have the same life and the same world. Nothing changed except for everything. I changed.

And it was simple. And it made sense. And I just kept working at it step-by-step, and the world blossomed in front of my very eyes. And I'm teaching other people because I want everyone to feel better. We all deserve a good life. There's no reason we can't have it.

It works and I can teach you, but it takes a little sacrifice.

You have to sacrifice your ego. You have to stop needing to be right about yourself. You have to stop needing to be the victim of depression. And that's hard, I know. Because sometimes it feels like that's the only true thing you know. And it might not even make sense to you yet at all, and if not, don't worry. It will.

All you have to do is consider that maybe there there's another explanation, another point of view, another set of beliefs that gives you the power and the control over your mind. And maybe you can just open up your mind a little, and shift your perspective, and maybe your mind could change itself in front of your every eyes.

Maybe you aren't a victim at all. Maybe you're actually ok. Maybe you've had the power all along.

You have to sacrifice the story that you tell about yourself. You have to be willing to start writing a new story. You have to be brave enough to consider what life would be like if you were ok. You have to stick your neck out just a tiny bit and risk having hope. You have to get clear about what being ok means. You have to be willing to picture yourself bright and happy. And I know that's hard.

You have to choose to be kind to yourself. You have to choose to realize that you've always done your best, every step of the way. And that turning your head and seeing a new way is also doing your best, right now. And your best is good enough, I promise.

And I know it's a risk. Because what if it doesn't work? But you have to try.

Eventually the risk of staying where you are will become greater than your fear. And you'll do something, and what will that something be?

You can change your brain. You can reroute your neural pathways. You can purposely and step-by-step choose what your life is going to feel like. You get to write the script of your life and paint all the scenery.

Hit me up. I will help you. I want to. And if you're skeptical, or scared, or you can't risk hope yet, that's ok. I'll come back here every couple of weeks and leave a little more hope on this thread.

All the love,
Brittany