The Wanderluster

Alright, so I've been a little lazy and delayed in this one as I'd planned to have it out a few days ago at the end of September or the first of this month, nonetheless, I'm here now and I'll say what I have to say and what needs to be said about the wanderlust gene. Also a few more bits on anxiety, angst, depression, stress, mental illness and a few other mental health-related topics.

To begin, I'd like to say that I feel everyone should have a bucket list. Absolutely everyone. It doesn't matter about your age, weight, height, overall size, have a bucket list. It'll instill that sense of accomplishment and/or goals/dreams to be achieved in the near or far future. It's exciting to write a bucket list and I'd have to say that the best part about it is the feeling that you're realistically going to accomplish these goals/dreams someday. You will have doubters and disbelievers but don't ever let that stray your mind from your own goals, they have their lives and you have yours. That's that. 

Furthermore, creating this list sets your eyes on the grande picture and truly experiencing the big (or small) things in life you've always wanted to experience. I myself have quite a long list and it grows more and more every week. It's at 90 goals/tasks as of the moment and I fully plan on acting and indulging in every single one of them. I'm excited to! From the clichés of skydiving, skiing down the Swiss Alps & drinking with celebrities, to more unusual goals like skateboarding in the Grand Canyon and doing push-ups in Tibet, it can get as weird as you want or thrilling as you'd ever imagined. It's all up to you! (That's where my wanderlusting seems to come in play!) So get writing and have a hell of a time in this one life we have to live. I understand things may not always be the best scenarios or there's financial stress and struggles as to get to where you want/need to be, though don't worry my friends, I know exactly how that feels. You're never alone there and we need to all count on each other for support through these tough times. Which leads me to my next point.

I've spoken about these issues in a couple previous articles and I have no problem discussing them again, I love being able to help where I can and give advice where needed. That being said, I myself will even accept new advice, opinions and ideas since that's what being open-minded, positive and optimistic is about, you have to open yourself to the world and be a little vulnerable. It sounds scary but it's necessary to make these breakthroughs in life. I'm not saying to be completely naive and not withhold any common sense (for lack of a better word being that this phrase sometimes doesn't hold true anymore) but I'm saying to be willing to make mistakes and prepare for occasional failure. You can't always succeed but you also can't always fail. Why not always take the shot right? ;)

Anxiety, angst, depression, stress, PTSD, overall mental illness and health are enormous factors of our lives and define how we live from day to day, and the decisions we further act on. It's very difficult to overcome these types of things in a heartbeat and I myself suffer greatly from a few of these from time to time. No one is perfect and nor will they ever be. Imperfect perfection as I like to say is the best kind of perfect you'll ever need, since that's all there ever actually will be. The world can be crazy, hectic, unjust, tragic and insane sometimes but I promise you that it is always counteracted with an equally good action. It's karma yet again, acting in its mysterious was. It's the yin-yang energy that turns the world round, alchemy and Buddhism are essential tools to understanding these concepts. Alongside mindfulness, CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) which comes in many different forms but a couple of the more popular forms are, ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy) & ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) which basically stress the points of accepting the world for the way it is and everything that's happened/happening/or to happen in your life and finding peace in the current moment. ERP mainly focuses on overcoming these types of fears by direct engagement with them. Meaning, if you're afraid of spiders, let a spider (non-poisonous of course) crawl on your hand for at least ten seconds or so. Gradually, the more you do this, the less fear there is. Sounds insane, right?

Actually, it's a proven theory in many cases and while I'll have critics attack this statement, I stand tall and stay true to my word. I've used the theory myself and even helped friends with it and it's been used thousands of times to cure or at least handle illnesses like OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) & general anxiety as a whole. I recommend it to absolutely everyone and anyone struggling with these fears, obsessions, stress, struggles, depression and angst/anxiety. It will do you wonders and remember to always keep calm, take at least five deep breaths and close your eyes when things get a little too overwhelming or tough, everyone needs breaks. Take them.

Now how this relates to the bucket list is in the sense that you need to be able to overcome these barriers and stresses in your life to achieve whatever you want and have literally nothing hold you back. If there are negative factors in your life just eating away at you daily and you feel helpless, you need to drop them from your life. If you have difficulties doing so, then I recommend you try these therapies I've briefly explained. There are tons of articles made by therapists themselves and doctors about these issues and they can always be treated, no matter what anyone says. If you feel your issues are a little more severe and need medical attention, I highly recommend that you visit your family doctor and set up an appointment with a professional and he/she will guide you down the right path to recovery, many of them know these CBT techniques and will help you through your difficult times. Just please everyone, if you're struggling, upset, depressed, angry, sad, anxiety-ridden and full of angst.. Please don't keep that bottled in and let it fester within you. Say something. Talk to someone and get it out, you need to. Hell, I'm always here to lend an open ear and helping words, no matter what! Namaste everyone and have a wonderful weekend, following week and all the rest of your days to follow. Enjoy! God bless and Godspeed! :)

                                          (Solace)