Starting Your Dreams Later In Life and Embracing the Detour

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything but that's because of my job. I'm working as a reporter covering Oakland and I host an arts segment on the radio where I get to interview amazing artists from around the Bay Area. Plus I'm publicizing my book and building my speaking career! 
You know what's funny? I thought this would all happen by the time I was 27-30.  Nope. That wasn't God's plan for me. I'm finally beginning to do the things I've wanted to do and I'm almost 40 years old. Some people reading this who are 40 will say 40 is still young. But some younger people reading may think 40 is nearly ancient. But I'm writing this post for those who like me, thought their career and personal dreams would come true much early in life. I'm here to tell you not to give up. 
You know, death inspires life. A number of my relatives and friends have passed away, ranging in age from 20's to 80's. Actor Luke Perry, my middle…
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Anxiety Resources from My Creative Mornings Talk




My Creative Mornings--Oakland talk went beyond what I could've imagined! The place was packed and people were standing. I appreciate everyone who attended, organized the event and were sponsors. I don't normally talk about anxiety so I was of course a bit...anxious. But I'm glad it all worked out. If you missed it, a video is coming soon.

A number of people asked about a slide I used during my presentation. As someone diagnosed with depression and anxiety, sometimes negative thoughts can make me feel really hopeless or stressed out. And so when I'm presented with a situation where negative thoughts come up, I ask myself questions to  help me look at things differently.




I learned this from a daylong meditation retreat I took at the East Bay Meditation Center and group therapy. The meditation leaders Kitsy Schoen and Mushim led a retreat called Getting Back in Charge: Mindfulness and Depression. I think they lead this retreat every year.

In group therapy we used The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety  and learned about ACT, which is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.


Here's a great podcast episode from when I hosted Mental Health & Wellness Radio. There's a lot of information and personal stories here from myself and my guests. You can also listen to the show on iTunes.



Take care of yourself!

Comments

  1. Johnny BlackburnJune 2, 2019 at 5:40 AM

    You may not have the energy to get help or you may talk yourself out of needing help.
    When you want your friend to “get help” take the time to do your research and possibly recommend resources.
    If you can do some of the heavy lifting, like calling a therapist and making an appointment or even driving your friend there,
    it may help them on the road to recovery. Just be mindful that some friends may push back against this so it’s important to remember the next point.
    Johnny Blackburn Inspiration Story

    ReplyDelete

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