Do you remember that feeling of pure bliss and freedom you experienced as a child? I often think about how I was as a child and when I have encounters with children, I am often reminded of how joyful and free I once was. The purest form of joy is expressed through the eyes and laughter of a child. The level of honesty that a child displays is out of this world, their determination for what they want even after hearing the words no is unmatched. In transition to adult hood there is a shift in our spirit, our mind, and our drive. The spark that was once very present has been dimmed by the constant struggles of life. Life was not designed for us to lose our touch with our true nature, life is a course that is constantly changing. There are so many factors that contribute to how we begin to lose ourselves, which in return we witness the increase in mental health struggles such as depression. Life can be simple if we chose simplicity, a lot of the time we ourselves over complicate things. The thoughts we have about ourselves, the traumas of the pasts that we continue to live in, the lack of transparency, pride, denial, and the need to meet the expectations of the world. The increase in depression and suicidal deaths are real and very painful to get through. The appearance of another may not tell you what is going on with that individual, especially when we are living in time where facing your fears and living in your truth is not understood or accepted.

The joy that you experienced as a child was present through our natural ability to be transparent, honest with our feelings, and being free with our words and thoughts. As we get older and begin to experience different challenges in life, we are taught to stray away from our true nature which robs us of the opportunity to fully experience and appreciate all that life has to offer. There are more people walking around fighting with abuse from the past, low self-esteem, feeling alone, and the only solution they believe they have is to pretend all is well. The goals they presently have are different from the dreams they once were so excited about as a child. The dreams we have a child is crated through place of true desires it is based off love and passion. The goals we set as an adult most times are based on what other people think, how we appear to others, money, and most importantly needing to do something that makes us seem relevant, worthy, and praised by others.  This is how the demon of depression becomes present there is no crime in having goals, the problem is what we are chasing and the intentions behind our choices. The moment we do not get the approval of others or when trouble is present the fear of being perceived which becomes our focus. In that mindset we are more afraid to ask for help, we are afraid to be honest with ourselves and others, and we forget to be grateful for all that we have been blessed with.

Gratitude is a choice; to live in constant appreciation for all that you do have no matter how small it may seem is rewarding.  The world can feel cold, and lonely but we all have been blessed with the gift of choice.  The ability to choose the kind of life you desire is our birth right just as much as living in peace is. The opinions of the world do not matter, living in your truth and not allowing your past or present struggles to determine your future. Transparency, honesty, and prayer is key to experiencing life from the highs and lows and maintain your youthful spirit. There are no obstacles that we will ever experience that we cannot overcome through prayer with the determination to not be a victim but to be victorious. To all my friends, family, and everyone reading to I encourage you to never be so invested in an image that you forget to take care of your mental health. God provides help, healing, and love when we need it most, lay your burdens down and allow God to do a new and blessed thing in your life. Appreciate all of who you are flaws and all, that very thing that you were ashamed of and saw as a disadvantage is really your advantage. Be bold in your pursuit of life remain humble, filled with joy, and true to who you are always, just because you grow older does not mean you have put out your youthful flame of passion.