Everyone gets to a point in life where things seem bleak and that nothing will get better.
Depression is not just a chemical imbalance. It’s caused by a loss of hope.
When you lose hope, apathy can easily set in.
Not even trying anymore is a place many people have been before.
The reality is you can’t expect to solve the issue in one day.
I have lost hope in my life on more than one occasion.
Sometimes I felt like I didn’t want to live anymore. When I was 21, I was collecting government assistance and felt like I was unemployable.
I didn’t want to work and bust my ass for what I thought wouldn’t make a difference in life.
The decision to work came about when I was in the middle of a ball hockey tournament and a friend needed someone to help him shovel snow for a night. At the time I was content to just live off of government help. But something at this point gave me some hope. I did the shift and made a couple hundred dollars.
The thing is before this day, I didn’t think I would ever work. I saw it as not worth the effort.
My desire was to one day be a millionaire, but I didn’t see working as a laborer as any part of the path to get there.
The work I did that winter built into me working full time in the future.
I wanted to be a millionaire for the longest time.
When I saw that desire as something out of my reach, I felt a loss of hope.
What got me hopeful again was the realization that my goal didn’t come from me. I set the millionaire goal because I felt it was a sign of achievement. I would be worthy when I got there.
The good news is I realized this wasn’t a goal that came from my authentic self.
Today I work full time and I’m in my element.
On top of that the work I do can also lead to future speaking engagements and I want to be a great public speaker. I have already done several speaking events. The tip I share with other speakers is that your average self will be great on stage. It’s a matter of having that trust in yourself to deliever.
Being a peer support worker in the mental health field is a job that fits both my skills and enjoyment.
I can make the most of every day and also develop into a impactful public speaker.
I didn’t think I would be in the position I’m in now back in 2015.
My goal now is to continue to make the best impact I can while I work at the hospital.
I said in 2014 that working as a peer support worker would be my dream job.
In 2022 I realized that dream.
By the time I was hired many years later, I felt ready for the role.
When I felt less hope, I didn’t think I would be where I am now.
You never know when good fortune is around the corner. My goal now is to be fully congruent and be my authentic self to make the maximum level of positive impact.
The role is a blessing because it challenges me to be an example in my recovery.
I need to be the best influence I can be for the people I serve on a daily basis. Last week I was feeling burnt out mostly because my sleep was not the greatest. So when I come back to work, I want to be restored so I can keep making a positive impact.
The life lived to the fullest involves giving.
When you give more, you get more motivation to continue to give.
Being congruent means setting an example 24/7.
When nobody’s watching, it’s key to act with integrity.
Recovering from multiple addictions at the same time is hard, but I need to choose the hardship I will endure.
Stopping smoking, gambling and lowering coffee intake is going to be key to my congruence.
I don’t want to set anything less than a great example, because if I’m going to be in the recovery business, I must fully walk the walk.
I can’t work my days and be a gambler at night.
I also need to slowly lower my smoking again because I was almost there last time I tried to quit.
Leadership is something I practice because leadership is influence.
Every day I show up to work I’m influencing, even if I don’t notice.
In cadets, I was a good influence because I truly walked the walk.
The mindset I had from 2006-2012 was one of high dedication. I need to use that time in my life as a reference for stepping up my game now.
My game has been good, but I want to be better. I demand a lot of myself, and I know what I need to do in order to rise up to the challenges I’m giving myself.
The thing about excellence is that it’s easier to be excellent than it is to simply meet expectations.
When you demand excellence from yourself, you will have higher levels of motivation.
If you are just trying to meet expectations, your motivation will barely be high enough.
So I’m focusing on excellence all across the board.
When you strive for excellence and do excellent work, more opportunity will show up.
More success leads to more success.
Acing life is far simpler than just getting by.
When you decide to ace life, it makes things very clear.
In cadets, I aced everything because I demanded nothing less out of myself.
I exceeded all expectations.
Now more than a decade later, I’m deciding to get back to that version of myself. I’m still doing good, but I know I can do great.
So greatness has to be the goal.
In every action there must be a purpose.
To your success,
Angus