With the sudden and surprising passing on Monday 10th August of Robin Williams at only 63 years, it brings up feelings and thoughts of how fast our life can be ripped away.
It starts discussions about how short our life really is. Conversations begin on living our life to the fullest and doing what we are passionate about. It raises the why question, why anyone, why Robin Williams, why someone so talented and someone who appeared to have everything.
“Life is to be enjoyed not just endured”.
Gordon B. Hinckley
It highlights mental illness and how it directly and radically impacts many people. It confirms that celebrities are just like the rest of us with challenges and issues. It places on the table our biggest question – What Do We Want from our life?
What lessons can we gain from the sudden and unnecessary death of Robin Williams? Although his cause of death has not been confirmed it is suspected the cause of death was suicide. He had openly discussed his difficulties with depression and substance abuse.
Today is the first day of the rest of our life. Some of us feel stuck in frustration, procrastination or complacency which is an unhealthy place to live. Some of us feel unable to communicate our true feelings choosing to be in a negative space, this of course will only breed more of the negative emotion and enforce our feeling of ‘stuckness’. We are being untrue to ourself when we choose not to live our passion. In making a decision to operate from a place of untruth we take away our happiness, contentment and the power of possibility.
Many things tend to stop us and hold us stuck, these could include the lack of time and/or money. It could be fear, which is False Evidence Appearing Real. The fear could be about failing or what others may think or say. It may be because we feel we don’t have the skills or knowledge. It could be because we choose to hide away and let our over use of substances stop us from achieving our full potential. Our concern for speaking up or reaching out could also be holding us back. Or it might be the limiting beliefs we unconsciously choose to let run our life, we rob ourself of our dreams, passions and life fulfilment.
If Robin Williams could speak to us now, what could his message be to us? What is it that we could take from his passing? What could the bigger message be to us from the shocking outcome of MH17? Are we living our true potential? Are we living our passion? What options or strategies can we put into place to shift the possibilities for ourselves and our life?
Often when we want to change something it can be daunting and the task may seem too big so we stop and will often stay frozen for years. Sometimes when we choose to simply tolerate things because the pain isn’t too bad and we justify it to ourselves by saying “I can put up with it, it will be fine”. Is this truly living? What would the answer be if we asked ourselves – “What is it that we want from life?”.
Tips to support any change:
- Choose one thing and move with it,
- Assess exactly where we are at right now and how it makes us feel,
- Decide what is stopping us, are these excuses, are we in denial?
- Feel the fear and do it anyway (book by Susan Jeffers),
- Keep the steps small so we feel we are achieving something,
- If we need help with substance abuse or over use seek out support, there are many options available, start with our local GP,
- Be aware of any negative self talk, what is it saying?
- If it’s a depressive state visit www.beyondblue.org and get ideas, call lifeline for support and guidance,
- Speak with a professional, talk to A Coach,
- Give ourself permission to get out of our comfort zone and grow,
- Listen to positive songs, positive people, positive Ted talks www.tedtalks.com,
- Do exercise -moving is essential,
- Take time to relax and reflect,
- Write a daily journal,
- Get outside and be energised,
- Reconnect with nature – do a bush walk, go to the beach,
- Join a club and meet new people,
- Do some charity work and stimulate our brain differently,
- Learn something new,
- Visit an elderly relative or neighbour,
- Do something different.
If support, help or assistance is required it is all around us, we simply need to seek it out. It’s about taking small steps! It’s the small steps that will get us anywhere we want to go.
How do we eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift.
That is why it is called
THE PRESENT
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