Hey all!
I want to share a quick story with you, and I hope that what I learned can be some sort of inspiration for you.
Last year was difficult.
Backstory: I went to college for Music Business (more specifically, a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a focus in Music Business) and I’ve been working in record labels since graduating (for those who don’t know, record labels are essentially giant marketing firms for specific music artists). Over the last few years, I’ve grown distaste for the corporate environment. It’s extremely monotonous (for me) having an 8am-5pm desk job; I didn’t know this until I started working in this type of environment.
Current times: Last summer I swung into a pretty gnarly depression and checked myself into seeing a counselor (again). I felt unfulfilled in my career and spent the evenings at home with an empty hole in my chest. The problem was I didn’t see myself working in anything outside of the music industry, but I wasn’t satisfied in the music industry. I was pinned and my anxiety spiked. I felt useless and purposeless. However, I’ll never forget the look my counselor gave me when he uttered the 4 most powerful words that ended up completely changing the trajectory of my future:
“Something needs to change.”
Future times: After doing a lot of digging, conducting a lot of research, and watching a plethora of documentaries & interviews, my future has changed. The immediate result? A massive relief in anxiety and depression. Why? I went from not having hope and a future TO having hope and a future. What changed? Starting next week, I’m pulling back from fulltime to part-time in the business corporate environment and I’m going back to school for EMS/EMT training, then subsequently joining the firefighter training academy.
My advice to you: Although I don’t post here much anymore (I haven’t had much time lately with the life-transition going on right now!), I still try to get around to reading and “hearting” your posts. One common theme I see between people creating new threads is the theme of feeling stuck in life (and subsequently riding down a spiral of anxiety/depression). It’s a LOT easier said than done, but one way to break the spiral of anxiety and depression?
“Something needs to change.”
Whether it’s moving houses, changing jobs, finding new friends, working on breaking bad habits, actively fighting against the lies in your mind by affirming your value, or seeking counseling to gather new tactics to add to your toolbelt, something needs to change. In my case, it was as drastic as changing my career path in order to break the dark spiral.
What do you need to do to break your spiral?
You’re loved. You’re strong. Hold fast, fam.
-Eric