"Maybe this is just how I’m wired…"
I write to you a lot about how the brain works.
I share ways to shift your mindset and perspective.
Propose strategies to reduce stress, manage difficult emotions and situations.
Sometimes people imagine this comes easily to me. Like, maybe I’m wired differently than them...or their friend...or their sister. Maybe I just don’t get as stressed or overwhelmed as others.
I’m here to tell you that struggling is a human birthright...and this hasn’t always been easy for me.
Anxiety, depression, and addiction run throughout my family tree - as it does in most families - and so I’ve had my share.
In high school - which I loved and still look back on fondly - I started to have TMJ and a few other mysterious symptoms which my mom always spotted as obvious stress-related illnesses.
College at Harvard was like an IV steroid for my perfectionism and determination. And I wasn’t any longer in the warm and caring community of my home town. Within 12 months I was battling depression and an eating disorder.
With a lot of help, I was able to recover from this particularly dark time.
Since then I’ve had seasons of my life when I felt empowered, strong, and resilient.
But I’ve also had times when life felt dull, my dreams seemed impossible, and I couldn’t even remember what it was like to feel creative or inspired. It sometimes felt personal and intractable.
My view is that these “seasons” - the good and the bad - were a combination of circumstances, my wiring and my mindset.
Whatever clarity and ease you might see in me today is the result of my commitment to do what I can do to be fully engaged in life.
I’ve seen first hand that my life can go either way. I can experience and relate to life as something that happens to me or as something I create.
One of the big reasons I delight in writing to you each week about mindset, energy management, productivity, and the like is because this shit works.
It doesn’t just work for people who have it easy.
It doesn’t just work for people who are happy and upbeat.
It works for me - someone genetically predisposed to depression, wired for perfectionism, and with a history of an eating disorder.
It just works.
I said earlier that struggling is our human birthright. Resilience, joy, and creativity are our birthright too. All the wiring you need to feel good is right there.
Whatever "season" you are in - I see you and I have hope enough to share.
Much love,
Marijke Ocean
P.S. I’m in the spot now because I had help along the way. It took various forms - books, workshops, therapy, coaching, and more… If you are wondering what your next step is, just contact me here and let’s talk about what makes sense!