Someone recently told me that there isn’t a day that goes by that they don’t make some sort of mistake. That statement was humbling since I often avoid things I’m not good at for fear of failing or making a fool of myself. I wonder how many opportunities I’ve missed because of this fear. (You know missing those opportunities feels like a mistake too, right?)
Get out of your head. Don’t worry, I’m listening as well. It doesn’t make life any easier to make up scenarios in your head before they’ve happened, or if they will even occur. For all you know taking a chance will be the best decision you ever made. The times I’ve swallowed my fear and taken a risk have often paid off – granted not all of them. It’s not ours to control. All we can control is our own behavior and how we respond to situations as they come up.

We cannot control all of the moving parts of life. Who’s on the road while we’re driving, what people we serve at our jobs, how our coworker’s morning is going, what the weather will be tomorrow, when the next natural disaster will be… That job sounds exhausting, so why do we try to take the reins?

Take a deep breath. Take it all in. Take chances.

Kristen Ellis

Kristen has worked in the mental health field since 2013, with a focus on crisis work, substance use services, and bringing a voice to lived experience. Her ambition is to change the way mental health care and recovery is seen and achieved, so to redefine what it means to defeat adversity.