peter
“I thought about taking my life. It was right after Christmas. The weather was shit. I had just moved back from Canada to my parents’ house, not long after a cancelled wedding. I was in my bedroom, which I hadn’t left in a while. I kept wondering how will I get through this? Is this really worth it? What’s the point, really? Now, I can look back and see that I wasn’t really myself. The rational me would never consider something like that. But when things don’t work out and you feel down and alone, strange things can come into your head. I was lucky to be at home and was able to ask for help from my sister. As soon as I opened up, a wonderful community formed around me who helped me to get through it. After I came out on the other end, I decided to write about it. Because of that honest piece, I ended up sharing my journey on a radio show. This led to a real turning point in my life. The next day, I got a call that a man, who had been on his way to take his life, had heard me speak on the radio and decided not to do it. He wrote a letter to the radio show, saying that I had saved his life. When I heard the news, I cried. Suddenly it all made sense. If I hadn’t been through what I had been through, then this man would have been dead. Through this, I became a motivational speaker. I wasn’t planning to, but people constantly got in touch, asking me to give a talk. I often think about this when I face new obstacles in my life. The same dark emptiness would still knock on my door, but I would use this story to reflect and see that a few years ago, I could’ve gone down the wrong route. But I’m still here! I am happy and married. I’ve had successful books published. I toured the world. I did a lot of things I wanted to do. Besides having a few minor downturns, I’ve had a pretty great life. I now know that life is full of ups and downs. Most of the time, good things will come, even from bad things. You just have to be patient and never give up.”
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