Life can be amazingly fun, filled with so much joy and beauty. It can also be very challenging. Sometimes we get lost and have a hard time seeing the bright side of life – like after losing a job, when a relationship ends, after the loss of a beloved friend, a parent or even a child – or after something simple as a disagreement with a friend or boss.
My goal with May You Shine is to create a lighthouse of sorts – a place to find inspiration and be empowered, a place where your spirits feel lifted, a place to help light your way, to help you weather the inevitable storms of life and come out stronger on the other side.
I want you to know that you’re not alone and that you matter, because you are important. The world needs you and what only you can bring to the world.
Why. People are suffering. Many turn to alcohol or drugs to numb the pain. One in 12 teens cuts themselves as a way to control emotional pain. Sometimes the darkness becomes so intense that a person may forget just how important they are to the world and decide they just don’t want to go on living. Young people can be especially susceptible as they figure out who they are and what their place is in the world. The number one cause of death of teenage girls around the world now is suicide. And someone somewhere dies by suicide every 40 seconds.
I understand how difficult things can get. I have weathered severe depression and anxiety throughout much of my life. I managed it pretty well with the help of antidepressants and therapy. Nine years ago though after being laid off many times and losing health insurance during the dot-com bust in Silicon Valley, I lost my way, thought I was a burden and nearly ended my own life. I was lucky. I survived and fought my way back. I learned a lot along the way, like the importance of developing strong coping skills to weather any storm.
My intention is to provide many resources here for anyone who’s struggling, parents who want to help their kids and anyone who wants to support a loved one who’s struggling. This is a work in progress and in the beta stage. If you’d like to support this work, donations of any size are accepted with much gratitude. The more funding that comes in, the more time I can spend on this site. Also please contact me if you’d like to sponsor the site.
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