#mentalhealthmonday
#mentalhealthawareness
Stories are powerful.
The stories we tell about others can change how we perceive them or how they are perceived by the world. The same goes for us. The stories we tell about ourselves shape how the world treats us. We craft the narrative by which we navigate the world.
Whether consciously or unconsciously, we delineate our boundaries to the world we live in. Through physical, emotional, and verbal queues, we tell the world how we want to be treated, or at least, we set out a rough set of paalrameters by which we will guide ourselves, or allow ourselves to be guided.
We rarely think about it. Our compliance to rules, laws, and social norms is programmed into us at a very young age. We seldom look inward into our inner source code and wonder why we act the way we act. We just do. It’s better that way. It’s easier to just let the programming do its thing rather than attempt to replace it.
Here’s the thing, though; you’re either programming yourself or your being programmed. In the words of former U
S. Navy Seal and current firearms instructor Kyle Defoor, you’re either a “Feeder” or a “Leecher.” Meaning, you’re either providing the leadership, meaning, and direction for your situation, or you are consuming whatever stimulus the situation is providing. We know how to consume, but how can we create what we need?
Well, sometimes we need to fake it. Imitation is said to be the sincerest form of flattery, and if false courage attains the intended result, then who’s to know the difference? The term “LARPing” is used a lot today, often as a pejorative, but Live Action Role Playing is literally what a lot of life is. Either you’re attempting to embody a set of values and behaviors that you deem worthy of emulation, or you are a soulless NPC (Non-Player Character). A drone.
We all have fear and doubt. Some of us are just better at being fake brave in some situations than others. Go ahead. LARP your heart out. See what happens.
Have a great week.
Be safe.
Be Blessed.
Much Love!
-DJR
