Mental Health Monday - 05.13.24

#mentalhealthmonday#mentalhealthawareness

I think it's safe to say that most of our work/reward structures are pretty messed up. It's not that we don't make efforts or get rewards,  but for many of us, we have a distorted view of what the work/reward ratio ought to look like.

The fact is, our generations have been coddled in the West. We have never known war, conflict, or privation of any scale compared to the rest of the world. The "Boomer" generation worked their asses off to make life easier for future generations, but I don't think they foresaw the current state of entitlement and wanton disregard for their sacrifices that we see today.

We all struggle. Every one of us. But what of I told you that in some way, the struggle is the reward. Dopamine isn't meant to be achieved by the press of a button. The healthy balance for our physical, psychological, and spiritual requirements calls for a disproportionate amount of work for a modicum of reward. It has always been this way. It's how we were designed.

Much of our modern malaise is predicated on the idea that we are finished products and complete organisms, however we choose to see ourselves. This is a fallacy. We are incomplete beings from the time of birth. We are unique creatures, capa le of evolution within our own liftimes, and the catalyst of that evolution is struggle, hardship, work, and stress. We are made for the fire.

The easy path is a lie. To achieve great reward, one is likely to have to fail more than they succeed. A person who wishes to follow their dreams is going to be opposed and told, "No." and they must learn to persevere. After a long arc of repeated trials and failures, they might achieve their dreams - maybe. Nothing is promised, except for the chance to fight for your life, if you choose it.

I hope you choose to dream, struggle, and earn your dopamine the hard way.

We're all with you.

Have a great week.

Stay safe.Stay blessed.

-DJR