It’s going down. Gabriel knew it could happen — still, the shock and awe of the attack left his face ashen. As bad as it is, he knows he’ll attempt a comeback. But for now, he needs to draft his plan, as he focuses solely upon what to do when you’re overwhelmed by life.
Let’s work the problem, people. Let’s not make things worse by guessing. Gene Kranz
Introduction
In one way or another, most of my articles are based upon something going on in my life or the life of someone close to me.
Given the subject matter — and the way of the world these days — it’s important that I give you the most relatable piece possible. To that end, I want you to know that Gabriel is actually me — for going on 45 days now.
But would you agree that Gabriel is any of us at some point in our life?
To make our connection as strong as possible, I’ll share the diagnoses thrown my way over the past 40 years: panic disorder with agoraphobia, alcohol dependence, generalized anxiety disorder, and OCD.
If you’re wondering why all hell broke lose, it really doesn’t matter. After all, a tough time is a tough time — we all have them. And to me, it’s about action, not comparing notes.
So I’m going to share some of the personal insights — self-truths — I’m using as I continue to draft and implement my comeback plan.
We’re going to take care of biz in two parts. I’ll call this piece the introduction/explanation and we’ll come back and review those personal insights in part two.
I really hope you’ll find the series helpful, for yourself or someone close.
Before you go
Gene Kranz (second from left) celebrating Apollo 13’s splashdown with the mission control team
You may have caught it in the film, Apollo 13. All the flight controllers heard Jack Lousma’s reply: “Roger, Odyssey, we copy you’re venting.” Amid the ensuing chaos, lead flight director Gene Kranz (Ed Harris) began to address the room: “Okay, listen up.” After providing initial instructions, he said…
Let’s work the problem, people. Let’s not make things worse by guessing.
Would you agree that it applies to working through our problems?
One more
I’ve always enjoyed reading the work of psychiatrist, psych theorist, and Holocaust survivor Dr. Viktor Frankl. Here’s one of his gems on suffering…
Suffering presents us with a challenge: to find our goals and purpose in our lives that make even the worst situation worth living through.
It always hits home.
On to part two
We all go through tough times — some seemingly insurmountable. When they occur, knee-jerk reactions, guessing, and freaking out only make matters worse.
We need to stay focused solely upon the task at hand: calmly reviewing truths about ourselves, considering options, and drafting our comeback plan. We can handle implementation when the time’s right.
So it’s on to part two — the self-truths I’m using to plan and ultimately implement my comeback. Stay tuned, it’ll be up shortly.
Please peruse the Chipur emotional and mental illness info and inspiration titles on the articles page — or by category below, right sidebar on desktop. We’ll both appreciate it.
After a decades-long wrestling match with emotional and mental illness, Bill finally found his professional and personal passion – life’s meaning. He wanted to lend a hand to those struggling as he did, so off he went to grad school at age 49 and earned his counseling credentials. He continues his service through Chipur and other projects.
