In conversation at one of our support group meetings we got into the topic of Survivors and Thrivers. One young lady asked the question “What’s the difference”? The definition goes like this….

Picture two people going out in a boat only to see there was a little hole in the bottom with water pouring in. There was a little round plug there but neither dared to use it. With the boat almost full of water both jump overboard and swam for shore. Reaching the shore they climbed up onto the beach and caught their breath.

AS they both sat back on the beach people would pass by and the first of the two would keep telling his story of his near misfortune and the story never changed, The second of the two then got up from where he sat and walked over to another boat and pushed it into the water. This time he took the plug and plugged the tiny hole in the boat. He left shore and enjoyed a beautiful day on the water.

If you think about it the first displayed being a survivor taking his ordeal and doing nothing but talk about it. The second displayed a thriver because he took what happened to him and used that knowledge to change the situation and get right back at it. In his case enjoying a day on the water, in life it’s about recovery.

   While preparing a slide for one of my presentations on Mental Health I thought a good way to do so would be to compare it with a glass of water. You might think I’m crazy but read on…..

Picture a glass of water and how little it weighs. 8 ounces maybe ten. Well if you were to hold up that glass of water for 5 minutes it wouldn’t feel too heavy, but if you were to hold it for an hour it would get heavier. A day and your arm would get tired. A week and you’d go numb. A month and you wouldn’t be able to last another minute……

Mental Health works the same way. You might only think that your problem or problems aren’t that heavy until you start to hold onto them. The longer you hold them the heavier they get, until in this case your feelings and emotions can’t take no more. It’s carrying that weight over time that causes a breakdown.

If we deal with those little things at an early stage we can avoid carrying the weight that gets heavier and heavier until it’s too late…..Think About It.

   In a game of email tag with a friend I’ve not seen for years she mentioned her mother being stuck on attending any type of support group. Well it got me thinking about support then recovery came to mind and that turned into change. With that being said thinking about her mother and recovery at the same time I thought “what was the best advice I could give”? This is what I said

Hey,

Just tell your Mom when she’s thinking about trying something new like a support group she has to be Willing, Ready and Able

Willing starts the change process and lets us know there’s room for change.

Ready says I’m beginning to understand what to do/confidence and believing in myself, someone or a process.

Able says I can do this.

Cheers…….Robert

Well turns out her Mom was Willing, Ready and Able because today I got a call from her signing up for the support group.