Swamp Thing
Background
Today’s #ReflectConnect is all about reflecting upon any
muddy, swampy moments of your week, year or professional practice and how you
will reflect on action and pull your feet out of the mud? Or support others?
Reaction
The swamp is needed. Challenges show us what is important
and develops our reactions.
Related, I've been listening to a podcast. Survival of the
fittest. We misunderstand Darwin. The strength in social connection outperforms
individual strength.
Love the tribe. Help the tribe.
Development of the Idea
To understand my thoughts behind this we need to meander
back to a little way in the past. Pressures in life back in 2017 brought me to
my knees and it climaxed in a mental breakdown at the back end of year. I won’t
delve into the years and events leading up to it, that’s a story for another
time. However, at that point, though insisting and knowing I was not suicidal,
suicidal ideation filled much of my waking time. An extremely unhealthy place
to be, but what can be done when you see no route out?
I ended the year at my lowest ever point and it was all I
could do to get out of bed in the late morning, only to fall asleep on the sofa
an hour or so later. I was a shell of myself. How did I begin to recover? Well
here, I consider myself a very lucky person. All the support I could need was
there if I could bring myself to share. Work signed me off, a therapist was
available immediately, as was a psychiatrist. A combination of the therapy,
medication and me helped me stand again. Then through therapy came the first
tentative steps of moving forward once more. At this point, I’d fallen so far
behind of where I previously thought I was, that I could not imagine I’d get
back to the place I should be. Recovery was slow at first, but when it came to
returning to work, I was strong enough to know I wasn’t going to hide. No
compulsion to talk about what had happened, but why the hell not? Then around
six months later the real magic started to happen. It started with something as
simple as reading the right book for me at just the right time. It spoke to me.
Who was I? Who am I and was I really prepared to find out? Fortunately, the
combination of assistance I have received in that time has answered that with a
firm yes. To cut a long story short I am now the person I felt comfortable to
call me back when I was eight years old. Limited facades, just being me and
unabashed of it. Layers and layers had to be stripped away before being truly
ready to fly again. That excess weight, the excess baggage had to come off. The
last three years has been a voyage of discovery.
Presently
The abridged version of this brings us to the present day. I
am not naïve enough to believe life will be plain sailing, in fact it hasn’t
been. Why can I deal with it better, not perfectly but better, today? It’s
fundamental and basic, I know me, I mostly like me. That me is the person who
has always believed in the power of groups. The potential to accomplish things
that no man or woman can do alone. The gift of you, of anyone, that gives to
the group is rewarded with achievements you can’t possibly imagine otherwise.
If you have a tribe that cares. Which brings us back to that quote about
misunderstanding Darwin. Survival of the fittest. How do you define fittest? An
individual specimen that is stronger or faster or even more resilient than the
rest? No that definitely isn’t it. Your tribe, the one that truly cares, the
one which will have your back and you will have theirs. The one that you
connect with in a way that you know you belong, that is the fitness that
everyone needs.
With love.
Shane
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