Darkness Is the Teacher

Over the weekend, my wife and I checked out this cool spot in southern Utah called Belly of the Dragon. Seeing her silhouette in the tunnel reminded me of a few paragraphs from my new book Stronger Than the Dark:

"I’ve started thinking about depression like a smoke alarm, an alert that something in my life needs to be addressed. Something needs to be verbalized. Something needs to be mourned. Something needs to be said. Something needs to be freed. Something needs to be healed.

For me, depression is often a signal that I’ve lost sight of the blessings all around me, and I’m stuck in self-criticism. Often, it’s an alert that I’m not taking care of myself physically, or that I’m disconnected from my sense of self-worth. Usually, it’s a warning sign that I need more connection with others, and that I’m bottling up my emotions instead of expressing them.

When I hear the smoke alarm of depression, it’s important for me to quickly take action. When I start to notice dark clouds around me, I can stop the self-criticism. I can eat better and get more sleep. I can talk about how I’m feeling and reach out for help if I need it. Darkness is the teacher."