01May

Just Keep Swimming—The Practical Side

“Just keep swimming!” Do you remember this line from the movie, Finding Nemo?  I do.  And when I think of this saying, the very next phrase that comes to mind is “sink or swim.” I probably think of these phrases together since they both involve the ocean and more importantly, the tenacity to keep going.

I have a dear friend who is also a colleague who uses the phrase “sink or swim” often. She has chronic health issues and has had 8 surgeries in the past 10 years. She also is a wife, a mother to 3 and owns her own practice. When people ask her how she keeps going with so many health problems she will say, “I have two choices. I can sink or swim. I choose to swim.”

Her response to keep going in the face of hardship speaks to her persevering nature and her positive personality. Her passion to keep going also speaks to the hope she is trying to hold onto. Hope is both fragile and essential. It can be so hard to hold onto and yet it is essential for our well-being. Perhaps the most peculiar part of hope is that while it can be so hard to possess, once possessed it sustains.  Hope engenders hope. Hope can seem elusive; however, once found it flourishes and moves us forward with new energy and expectation.

Perhaps the greatest concern of all is when we lose hope. One of the questions I always ask my clients when assessing for depression is, “do you feel hopeless or helpless.” Losing hope is dangerous. As tough and tricky as it may seem to hold onto hope, we must. Hope is vital to good mental health.

If you are struggling to feel hopeful or are struggling with depression, we can help. Our trained and experienced mental health therapists are here to support you. We can help you identify and implement ways to care for yourself and find hope—even through the darkest of times. Please contact Life Enhancement Counseling Services at 407-443-8862 to schedule an appointment. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Yolanda Brailey