The fifth 80/20 theme I would like to comment on is the importance of never giving up. Resilience is often the single determining factor between success and failure, in any aspect of life. When a person is faced with the challenge of living with a mental illness, their refusal to quit will most certainly be pivotal in how quickly they are able to recover.

I have often heard from others that this is easier said than done, and I agree completely. It can be daunting to try your best every day to fight through the fear and loss that a mental illness can bring. The symptoms of bipolar, depression, schizophrenia, OCD or any other mental illness will challenge the will of even the strongest person.

There were most certainly days, and sometimes weeks and months, when I felt real fear that I may never recover. In those times, I learned to narrow my sights and find smaller ways not to give up. For example, when I was severely depressed I refused to allow myself to go a day without at least going for a short walk. Each day that I willed myself to fulfill that promise was a success; it was an example of my will to never give up.

There is also a blinding truth tied to this theme: we fulfill our own fears once we stop learning, searching, talking, and trying. Allowing yourself to despair will only guarantee that your road to recovery will be longer and rougher. There is no way around this, except of course refusing to ever give up. Having unshakeable hope and belief in your ability to recover can be the most powerful tool available to you.

Be well,
Jason Finucan