I want to increase your awareness about suicide.
Here’s why:
You and I are on a long journey, but before we get into any bubbly talk about how great life is meant to be and how we are each endowed with incredible skills and gifts and how each of us can make a positive impact on our communities, our country, and our world and how we need to get our negative self out of the way so the power of our inner talents can make that impact… before we even touch on that stuff, let’s do what we can to avoid losing friends, family or others who you’ve been in contact with.
Let’s talk about the 500 pound gorilla in the room before it becomes an issue.
Make sure that friend who is going through some really tough life transition is not considering a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
What’s the use of personal development if there is no person left to develop?
Let me be candid. There have been times when I have been depressed, felt like I was being beat down by life with unanticipated things that caused enormous stress. It felt like my life was out of control and fear had me in its grip. It can get so bad I’d lose my appetite, lose weight, I’d cut myself off from others, and then feel alone in my struggle. Maybe you can relate to that.
Well, fortunately, I’ve gone through enough to know we don’t need the permanent solution to the temporary problems in life. And you know what? Every problem is just a temporary problem.
But my outlook wasn’t always like that, there was one time when the contemplation of ending it all was foremost in my mind.
Having done very well in a Navy career as a submarine sonarman and Navy Diver, I had reason to take pride in my accomplishments and my ability to meet goals. I had done some incredible things that most people could only imagine and I had achieved the rank of First Class Petty Officer in about as fast a pace as anyone could want.
I thought I could take that confidence and come back home to take over my father’s electric vehicle business.
Guess what, having experience in one area doesn’t necessarily translate to another. Although there were many aspects of the business I enjoyed, facing the failure to follow through for my own livelihood and as a son unable to take over his father’s business… well, it was a lot for a person to grapple with.
Moreover, failure took root during the Summer of 1988 when I was working under a car alone and suffered in an accident where I had to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance.
There was a big difference between doing things, often alone, as in a small family business, compared to the grand tradition and organization of military service.
I’m not saying everyone drops to that abyss of hopelessness, but it just might surprise you when they do.
One of the keys to survive any circumstance is to have a mentor or coach, a mature person(s) who has you in their rearview mirror, making sure you don’t stray off course. An example may be, if you’re interested in building business, find a successful businessman in your field who is willing to give you pointers on how to run your business, advise you on the skills you need to develop and perhaps most importantly, to let you know you’ll survive, even when things look really bad, as they will appear sometimes.
Tomorrow I’ll pay respects to a friend of mine who chose the permanent solution.
I’ll see you… on the next page.
Challen Yee
If you have gotten any value from this, please leave a comment.