Happy Monday, folks!
Hard to believe that we have officially entered another month of 2021!
The eight month that is to be exact!
My birthday month to be even more exact where I will be turning the BIG 3-4 on the 27th! AHHHH!
Anyway, this week’s post will be short and sweet because I want to make sure to drive home the moral and point for all of you.
So, please grab your infamous sidekick beverage that you can’t live without on Monday morning, get cozy on the comfiest chair in your habitat, and open those eyes!
As many of you know, The 2021 Olympic Games from Tokyo have been in full swing. Watching events of all sorts with the teammates coming together from all countries can awake such pride and energy within the souls of each and every one of us.
And this past week, we all witnessed Simone Biles–a decorated Olympic and World champion with 35 total medals including 5 from her first Olympic Games in 2016 make a bold, courageous, and brave move to drop out of the competition due to mental health concerns.
Read that again.
“Make a bold, courageous, and brave move to drop out of the competition due to mental health concerns.”
Yes, even world champions who do crazy stunts to wow us have moments where they realize that they need to take care of themselves.
Imagine that.
Mental health doesn’t care what religion you are, what sexuality you are, what your career path is, how old you are, how much money you have, the color of your skin, if you are a decorated Olympian–it affects all of us.
ALL of us.
And with this monumental moment that we witnessed on the TV from Tokyo, we were once again reminded that mental health is a very real concern in our world that needs some very real talk from all of us.
Simone Biles reminded us all again this past week that it is OK to not be OK.
And while I want us to realize the importance of being open and honest about our personal struggles with ourselves and each other, I also want to drive home another important point.
In addition to keeping our mental health at the front of our minds and in a healthy state, we must also make sure that we are taking time to find our own light inside our souls.
What is our passion?
What drives us?
What motivates us?
What gets us out of the bed in the morning?
At the end of the day, if we are not doing something in our lives that is motivating us and bringing us fulfillment, then what’s the point?
Each day when we wake up, we should feel a fiery passion inside ourselves about why we were put on this Earth.
The light that we find inside ourselves is something that we need to let shine for the entire world around us.
Our lights can only make a difference if we keep them safe from burning out.
And how do we do that?
By talking about our mental health.
By being open with ourselves, our hearts, and others.
At the end of the day, we need to remember that we aren’t perfect, can’t be perfect, and that we are human beings whose needs, feelings, and emotions are completely valid.
It’s time to have the crucial conversations about our struggles and to not be afraid.
It’s time to find our light, keep it safe from burning out, and keeping its shine alive and bright.
Let Simone Biles’ moment of truth and courage be an eye opener for all of us.
It is OK to not be OK.
Go.
Find your light and let it shine.
Sprinkle sunshine always,
JP!
Mr. Sunshine Smiles 