Today, I took a part of my lunch time to record this quick podcast titled, “Hang in There! Taking One Day At A time”! Why did I do this recording? There have been so many recent events that caused me to pause and self-reflect on time, how I spend my time, and who I spend my time with!
I am asking myself the following questions: Am I too available? Do people take advantage of my niceness to dump crazy and sometimes ridiculous stuff on me? Do people take advantage of me? Do I feel emotionally drained at times? What can I do about those moments when I do not want to be bothered by people’s shenanigans? So many questions! I know I am not alone in seeking answers to these questions!
It is ok not to be ok!
I had an opportunity to moderate a panel discussion this afternoon to recognize Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month! Very eyeopening! There are people all around us (maybe including ourselves) who are going through PTSD! How do we show empathy towards people who are experiencing these symptoms? Can we stop the stigma around mental illness or PTSD already!
One of the ways is to be Kind to yourself and to others! There are experiences that you are going through that are your experiences! Please, people, do not tell people to snap out of these experiences or invalidate what people are going through! And please DO NOT PREACH to me either along these lines! And don’t come at me with that judgy or self-righteous spirit either! If you have not experienced PTSD, how can you know what the experience is like?
“You can’t understand someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.”
Show empathy! If you do not know what to say at the moment, ask how you can support someone who is going through a tough time! Have the courage to speak! In the words of Maya Angelou:
“I think we all have empathy. We may not have enough courage to display it.”
– Maya Angelou
Below are links to my recent podcasts, also available on Spotify, Anchor FM, and Google Podcasts!
Church Customer Service – Hanging out with Dr. Abi Adeleke
I love this quote by Matthew McConaughey!
“I’m not perfect; no, I step in shit all the time and recognize it when I do. I’ve just learned how to scrape it off my boots and carry on.”
― Matthew McConaughey
So, my friends, hang in there! Take one day at a time! Shalom! Be kind to me! I promise, I will be kind to you as well!
Thank you for hanging out with me! Dr. Abi Adeleke, #hangingoutwithdrabi on Spotify
