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Always remember that the life in front of you is far more important than the life behind you.
The things that happened in your past don’t define you. Keep your head up and keep moving forward ❤️
I don’t know who needs to hear this today, but…
we operate in this environment of technology and everything moves so fast, but the pace we are actually supposed to be moving at is the pace of nature.
unfortunately we live in a society that seems to think working yourself into the ground means success. we are so busy constantly doing things, multi-tasking, and trying to do it all at the expense of our mental health.
we aren’t meant to constantly be going. we aren’t meant to lose sleep trying to get a million things done in a day. we need rest. we need to take breaks to just be.
I missed out on a lot during my time in college because I worked multiple jobs while going to school. not only was I missing out on a lot by trying to balance it all, but it also lead to some serious burnout and my mental and physical health suffered.
this is your reminder that you don’t need to be speeding through life. take some time to slow down and enjoy the moment your in. your physical and mental health will thank you.
In this video, the TurningPointCT team wants you to know that life really is too short to worry about the stupid things.
I have always loved Ron Swanson from Parks & Recreation. From his wisdom, to his relationships with his coworkers, there’s just something about him that inspires me.
1. “Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing.”
This is my all time favorite Ron Swanson quote. It’s one that I definitely hold close to my heart. Ron said this to Leslie while she was running for city council. For those who haven’t watched the show, Leslie Knope is the most passionate, hardworking woman in the city of Pawnee but she doesn’t put herself first.
Leslie continued to work at the parks department while she was running her campaign for city office. Ron suggests a sabbatical as he realizes it’s becoming too much for Leslie but she refuses. Eventually, they have a heart to heart and Ron tells her of a time when he took on too much. He then tells her “Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing.” because he knows how passionate she is. He wants her to put all her energy and passion into her campaign so it can be successful instead of stretching herself thing between both.
We should be putting all of our passion and energy into one thing like Ron said. It’s better than doing two things with half as much energy and passion.
2. “If you don’t believe in love, what’s the point of living?”
Ron states this quote after discussing whether he’d get married again or not. What he’s trying to say is that love is what keeps us going. I know that some people don’t believe in love but for those who do, we know that it’s more than just a word. I am definitely one of those people.
For those who feel the way about love that I do will understand what I’m about to say. Love is what allows us to give meaning to our lives. A life without love is one that’s dull. The ability to love and be loved by someone else is magic alone. Love teaches us about ourselves and the people in our lives. I don’t think that we’d survive without it.
Love is not just about relationships. It is about the the care and affection we choose to give to others. I know that love can be difficult sometimes but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. Love is not always going to be easy. It will hurt you but it will also help you grow. So please, don’t give up on love.
3. “One rage every three months is permitted. Try not to hurt anyone who doesn’t deserve it.”
In this episode, Ron has created The Swanson Pyramid of Greatness. This pyramid has what Ron considers to be every to key to success. While going over it with, he points at a square titled “Rage”. He then says “One rage every three months is permitted. Try not to hurt anyone who doesn’t deserve it.” You can have one big moment of anger when you’re struggling but don’t take it out on the people trying to help you.
I get that sometimes you feel like you have to bottle everything up until it explodes. That doesn’t mean when it finally happens that you can take those feelings out on everyone. Especially if they’re only trying to make things a little better for you. Try not to bottle those emotions up, talk to someone when you need help. I promise whoever it is will do everything that they can to help you feel better.
4. “Don’t start chasing applause and acclaim. That way lies madness.”
During this episode, Leslie is doing everything that she can to save townspeople from themselves with her power in legislation. She worked hard to pass new acts and laws but was driven to the point of quitting. She exclaims this to Ron to which he replies, “You choose a thankless job, you can’t be upset when nobody thanks you. Don’t start chasing applause and acclaim. That way lies madness.”
After hearing this, Leslie realizes that she didn’t want to quit because she didn’t love her job or because she wasn’t passionate about it anymore. She realizes that she was seeking out external affirmation from everyone she was trying to help. While she’s trying to do this for the townspeople, it’s not just about them. She does her job because it’s who she is and she’s passionate about it. She’s not doing it for fame or recognition.
This is definitely one that I think we can all get behind. We don’t do our jobs or the things that we do for other people. We do them because that’s who we are and what we love. And we have to remember that the moment you start doing things for other people’s opinions and approval is the moment you begin to lose yourself. Don’t lose yourself trying to chasing fame and recognition. Stay true to yourself, always.
5. “Live your life how you want, but don’t confuse drama with happiness.”
During a conversation with Donna, Ron is explaining to her that drama isn’t happiness. Donna is used to living a life full of superficial and tumultuous relationships. She finds traditional, stable one on one relationships to be boring.
Ron being in a stable, happy marriage finally sees the world in a different light and just wants to pass that onto Donna. He knows Donna deserves someone who is going to be good to her, not those who bring her drama. Drama might be exciting but it’s not what makes you happy. Ron Swanson is a good friend to everyone.
I’ll be the first to admit that I have struggled with this before. I spent time in a long, unhealthy relationship with someone because I thought the drama and everything was normal. I wasn’t happy but like I said, I just thought it was normal. Over 2 years later, I’ve finally let all the drama go and I’m much happier. Get rid of that unnecessary drama, it is NOT happiness. I promise. You will find it in the right place.
What are some of your favorite Parks & Rec quotes?
Read Why Ron Swanson Is One of the Best TV Characters of the Century—As Explained by Nick Offerman on The Ringer!
Read Kailey’s post 12 More Times “Bojack Horseman” Got Real About Mental Health here on TurningPointCT.org!
Dealing with grief is a lengthy, painful process. You have to remind yourself that taking the time to grieve is okay. Some days may hit you harder than others when it comes to loss, whether it be a person or even an animal. It’s not easy but you have to remember that you won’t feel like that forever.
Over the last two years, I’ve found myself grieving the loss of so many loved ones. It wasn’t easy and some days, I find myself missing them even more. It’s been incredibly difficult but I am making it through as best as I can.
Here are some quotes that have helped me grieve:
“How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
Winnie the Pooh
“No matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn’t stop for your grief.”
Faraaz Kazi
“And perhaps there is a limit to the grieving that the human heart can do. As when one adds salt to a tumbler of water, there comes a point where simply no more will be absorbed.”
Sarah Waters
“We bereaved are not alone. We belong to the largest company in all the world–the company of those who have known suffering.”
Helen Keller
“We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.”
Kenji Miyazawa
“Happiness is beneficial for the body, but it is grief that develops the power of the mind.”
Marcel Proust
“Grief is love not wanting to let go.”
Earl A. Grollman
Change can be difficult and it can also be scary. There’s comfort in the familiar, but sometimes we need a change. Other times, the change is situational, like having to move because your parent got a new job. Change is an inevitable part of life.
Below are some quotes about change to help you through the different seasons of your life.
Every morning, we get a chance to be different. A chance to change. A chance to be better. Your past is your past. Leave it there. Get on with the future part.
Nicole Williams
You have the power to change your life. Just start with changing your thoughts.
Mel Robbins
Never forget that walking away from something unhealthy is brave, even if you stumble a little on your way out the door.
Mandy Hale
Everything changes when you start to emit your own frequency rather than absorbing the frequencies around you, when you start imprinting your intent on the universe rather than receiving an imprint from existence.
Barbara Marciniak
Many times you change, evolve, take a different path or road and the people you love are left behind. All that is left is a memory of you, of someone you are not anymore, a ghost, a shadow of smoke and bone, you are there yet you are gone.
e.v.e.
The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.
Alan Watts
If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we are not really living. Growth demands a temporary surrender of security.
Gail Sheehy (b. 1937) American writer, journalist, editor
You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.
C.S. Lewis (b. 29 November 1898)
Until you change your thinking, you will always recycle your experiences.
Unknown
The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.
Socrates
There is a beautiful life waiting for you on the other side of your fears.
Unknown
It’s never too late to start being who you want to be.
Unknown
I feel like people with mental illness get a bad rep. Everyone always feels like they need to walk on eggshells around us. They feel that we are oversensitive, weak. But, the reality is we are fighters. We keep fighting even on the worst days.
Having feelings doesn’t make us weak. Having bad days doesn’t make us weak. It’s easy to look at someone who is an emotional wreck and just assume that they can’t handle life. But, you have no idea what could have happened to them that day. Something awful could have happened to them. They could have had something trigger them to having flashbacks of past trauma. Their anxiety or depression can just be really heavy and overwhelming that day.
As someone who has suffered at the hands of my mental illness, I can tell you people like me are not weak. I have pushed through and continued on days when my brain told me to just end it. I have gone to school and work on days where my anxiety was making my skin crawl and had me in fight or flight.
I’m sure there were days that it was noticeable to those around me, like the days I couldn’t stop the silent tears from streaming down my face while I was at work or school. If I were weak, I would have not showed up to work. Instead, I showed up and I pushed through those days.
I have had people treat me like absolute shit and walk all over me. I have been physically and emotionally abused. Sure, those things have done a lot of harm to me, but instead of letting them break me, I’m still here. There were a lot of days I did not want to be here, but I fought so hard to continue. Despite everything that I’ve been through, I still try to be a good person. I also still try to see the good in people.
At the end of the day, we are all human. We all have good days and bad days. None of us should be defined by our bad days. You never know what someone is going through.
“Do not confuse my bad days as a sign of weakness. Those are actually the days I’m fighting the hardest.”
Unknown
If you need help now, but you’re not sure where to start, check out our resources page.
People won’t always be kind to you. That’s the unfortunate reality of the world we live in currently. There are always going to be people that are going to hurt you, whether it’s on purpose or not. But that’s okay. Just because you meet a few bad people who are unkind to you, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s no longer any reason to be a good person. Never stop being a good person, it matters.
This is a lesson that I’ve had to teach myself and now I’m hoping that I can teach it to you. I let the bad people in my life dictate how I felt towards others. The number of bad people around me certainly outweighed the good ones and that made me feel like trying to be good wasn’t really worth it. I’ll admit, I was unkind to people who really didn’t deserve it and I wish I could take it back. It was only because I really didn’t feel like being kind would make a difference but I was certainly wrong about that.
Being a good person and being kind is so important if we want our world to flourish. Bad people choose to be bad but you don’t have to. You have to choose being good and spreading kindness. You can’t let those people dictate how you treat others. The way you treat people affects how they view you. So choose goodness and being kind. We need more good people and kindness in the world, and now more than ever.
“Never stop being a good person because of bad people.”
Unknown
If you’d like to learn more, you can read BetterHelp’s article How To Be A Good Person And Why It Matters here!
You can also read Why Teaching Kindness Matters right here on TurningPointCT!
Sometimes when things get tough, you need some inspirational quotes to get you through. Read below as Ella, Ally, and Kailey share quotes that have helped them on their recovery journey!
What is a quote that means something to you? Let us know in the comments 🙂
Hey guys! It’s 2019!
Pretty cool, kinda.
Some people seem to really care about New Years, it signifies a time to reflect and commit to change. Other people think it’s BS. And some don’t really care too much!
However you feel about New Years, it’s always good to reflect on time that’s passed and recognize strides that you have made.
My favorite quote when I was in the midst of a lot of struggles was,
“I may not be where I want to be but thank God I’m not where I used to be”
We don’t have to leap from ditches to mountain tops to recognize our power and strength. And sometimes it’s not even steps that deserve recognition, sometimes it’s staying right where you are, because it can be really hard to not fall backward, and good enough is good enough.
This New Years Eve, I laid in bed next to Willow while she slept and realized the changes that occurred over the past year. I thought about the pain, fear, and excitement I felt, and how hopeless I was at times. I realized how far I have come by looking back for a few moments. And it felt good, and it made me feel proud of myself. And I didn’t feel bad saying that.
So, what are you guys proud of from 2018?
I’m proud of myself for starting school, taking the leap to “real” employment and beginning the process of getting off of disability and SSI, moving, admitting to myself and a few friends that I was depressed, sticking with my path even when it was scary and painful and uncertain, trying every day to be a good mom, working hard, getting certified as a SMART recovery facilitator, Recovery Coach, and a Recovery Support Specialist, starting the path to getting my licence, and beginning to throw away things that I don’t need.
Let’s congratulate each other on our success in being here, even when it’s really hard work.
Today I’m proud of myself for being a mom. I might feel guilty a lot about being a mom… working, losing my temper, not taking advantage of every moment the way I feel like I should. But I know that I’m a good mom. I know my daughter loves me, and that I love her. Being a mom is scary and hard and exhausting and it never ends. And every day I wake up and do the best I can. I don’t act selfishly just because it’s easier. I don’t run away from my responsibilities. I try to do better all the time and I will never leave her side. So I’m proud of myself for that. I proud of myself for stepping up, being selfless, and pushing aside my wants for her sake.
The overwhelming amount of support I’ve been receiving regarding my writing has been an indescribable and beautiful experience.
I want to talk to you about why I am doing what I am doing. About why I am sharing my inner thoughts with you, my reader and friend. About why I wanted to do this work in the first place.
This is for Sophia.
This is for Rachael and Erin.
This is for Amanda and Nicole.
This is for Olivia.
This is for Summer.
This is for Marissa and Maya.
This is for the incredible women in my life that inspire and encourage me to be the best Olivia that I can possibly be.
This is for our future children.
This is for everyone reading this that doesn’t have their own voice yet. This is to encourage you to share your story.
This is for those who are struggling in silence. You are strong. You are beautiful. You are an important and necessary part of this world. I believe you. I believe in you. I know how special you truly are.
This is for the 8/13/17/22 year-old-me that needed someone to believe in her when it felt like the world was crumbling down around her.
This is for you, my reader and my friend. This is so you know you are not alone.
This ends a month of reflection, rethinking and celebration.
Refection on a moment that awakens us to the still darkness that lingers throughout society and the war on identity and personal freedom.
Rethinking the decisions and choices that we make about the people we invite into our lives and the answers to the questions that surrounds our safety and liberty.
But a celebration nonetheless, of bravery and authenticity.
This month might have been particularly difficult for many friends, coworkers and family members that may have lost love ones and its especially hard to celebrate in such difficult times but that’s the thing about pride, we celebrate to be stronger and not to succumb to the ills of everyday life that intends otherwise.
This month may have brought us back to a 1960s raid on a gay bar in New York City, or a reminder of the laws that states that we can’t donate blood to save our own lives or even that our family may not be our family even in death because we are gay.
Regardless, the end of Pride Month is the beginning of all things that we hope to come… laws that protects instead of demeans, education that enlightens and greater tolerance in our schools, workplaces and even our bathrooms.
I choose to believe that the opportunity to celebrate Pride is in itself is an achievement and a symbol of freedom that is sadly only present in very few societies. In other places – in other countries – liberty is diminished to mere dreams and hopes and the fight for justice is more disoriented.
…But an exit from another month of Pride is an entrance into an even better year and hearing news that the pentagon has finally lifted the ban on openly serving transgender troops is a good start.
TurningPointCT.org was developed by young people in Connecticut who are in recovery from mental health and substance use issues. We know what it’s like to feel alone, stressed, worried, sad, and angry. We’ve lived through the ups and downs of self-harm, drugs and alcohol, and the struggle to find help.
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