Mental health is a key factor in everyday life. It has shaped my understanding of the world in ways that I couldn’t fully explain before. I believe many individuals perceive the quality of life as an abundant supply of needs and wants, focused on external achievements and possessions. However, I personally think that the true quality of life is more dependent on the quality of self-love and mental well-being. As mental health can fluctuate, so too can our level of self-love. This means that our perception of life is often colored by how we view ourselves and how we care for our mental state. I think of mental health from a spiritual perspective, as Dr. Hayes once expressed, "We need to start by bringing darkness to light." This powerful statement deeply resonates with me because it suggests that in order to heal, we must face and confront our inner struggles. Mental health isn’t a linear journey; it’s a series of seasons. At times, it can feel like a never-ending cycle, and it takes a toll on oneself. Over the course of our lives, many people may experience seasons of pain, clarity, freedom, drought, confusion, and even seasons of discernment. But through these seasons, we often discover the parts of ourselves that need healing or growth. I feel that many individuals suppress their mental health in an effort to avoid discomfort or vulnerability. However, if we can 'bring the darkness into light,' we take the first step toward true healing. The more we are able to confront our inner darkness with self-awareness, the less power it holds over us. By becoming more self-aware, we can prevent these suppressed emotions from negatively impacting us later in life. I recently went through a season of pain and misunderstanding, which left me feeling lost and disconnected. However, through reflection and faith, I learned to embrace whatever pain and suffering God allowed me to endure. In the past, I would have resisted these challenging moments, but I’ve come to realize that the Lord allows me to go through these suffering phases to deepen my intimacy and relationship with Him. It’s a humbling experience, one that reminds me that even in the most painful seasons, there is a purpose and a lesson to be learned. As a young child and teenager, I suppressed my emotions and my mental health because I didn’t know how to express them. I thought that pushing through was the way to survive. I now realize that doing so took a toll on me, but in time, I brought that darkness into light, allowing myself the freedom to heal. It wasn’t easy, and it took years for this enlightenment. Through seasons of clarity, self-development, and spiritual maturity, I’ve learned that the journey toward healing is ongoing. I've personally found that I have to defeat the enemy inside of myself—the doubts, fears, and insecurities that hold me back from becoming the best version of myself. Mental health is not about being happy all the time. It is about cultivating self-control, self-awareness, and inner peace amidst the storm. It’s about learning how to manage our thoughts, emotions, and reactions in a way that doesn’t control us, but empowers us to live in harmony with ourselves and others. As I previously mentioned, I must defeat the enemy inside of myself. This is not a battle that I can fight alone. I feel that I cannot overcome these inner battles without guidance from God. He is my strength, my refuge, and my source of wisdom. Through my relationship with Him, I am able to find the peace I need to navigate life's challenges. To directly answer the prompt, my experience with mental health has shaped my goals, relationships, and understanding of the world in ways I never anticipated. Through trial and error, I have come to realize that my mental health journey is not just about surviving but about thriving—growing closer to God, embracing my flaws, and learning to live in peace. It has also guided me toward healthier habits, better disciplines, and a more grounded sense of self. As I continue to grow and learn, I remain open to new strategies and practices that will help me navigate my mental health even more effectively. Whether through reading, prayer, reflection, or seeking professional help, I believe that growth is a lifelong process. Each day presents new opportunities to strengthen my mind and spirit. I’m learning to be patient with myself and trust that, in due time, everything will fall into place as I continue on this journey.

Life can change within a snap of a finger. Have you ever met someone who had a large impact on your life? What about a person who could change your perspective on life? Well I have two people I’d like to formally present: my mother and my younger brother, Cj. My mother was my first ever teacher- she has brought me up in various aspects. She raised me into the person I am today. My younger brother is just a year younger than I am, his life is potentially a reflection of how I live my life. A person's trauma and experiences have the ability to completely alter who they are. Some would say it depends on the person. Others would say it depends on how the person chooses to react to their experiences. Personally, I would say that there are many factors that define a person. Trauma is a large integrator of how someone can live their everyday life. It also depends upon how they react; Do we rebel from our trauma? Or do we comply with our truma? Now that is a choice everyone makes for themselves, but that simple choice can be life changing. My mother has always been there for me. She has always taught me to use my resources when there isn’t much potential left. Growing up, I heard “what’s coming will always be better than what's left.” To elaborate, she expressed to me to keep faith in myself. She would always tell me small things such as “miss out on temporary fun to build permanent stability.” Now, I never truly understood until I witnessed people around me having fun and ruining their futures. I would like to give a special appreciation to my mother for simply being with me and unconditionally loving me. My younger brother, Cj, is just a year younger than I and has grown immaculately. As young children, we always served as each other’s competition, a way to become bigger and better. Now that I am older, I have the privilege to see him use the wisdom and knowledge that God has given me the chance to give him. I feel that I am a role model for my brother Cj, but when I’m down and out, he is always there for me. In life, everyone faces distinct challenges. The challenges may have been detering as I was going through it, but later I noticed that I had much growth. I’ve grown in aspects such as mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And today I still desire to grow as much as possible. Perception is a large factor on how everyone chooses to live their life. If you find the right people you will flourish, and your perception will change for the better. Going through life I’ve learned that ‘you aren't willing to live until you are willing to die.’ My perception on life has changed immensely as I’ve gone through trials and errors. To be honest, personal problems can be life changing and having the people you love beside you can be a large push. It has helped me to gain confidence. I have also discovered new things about myself. Again, I would like to give a special thank you to my mother, Sheril, and my brother, Cj. Without them I wouldn’t be the man I am today, and they have inspired me to grow even more for the future. As I will continue to seek in the Lord and follow the Will he has planned for me.

Everyone faces challenges in life, and everyone experiences difficult events. When I was younger, few people told me that mental health was an important factor of life. My mother, my first teacher, taught me that ‘health is wealth’. I need to put my mental health before many factors that may distract me. Though I had an idea of different illnesses, I had not known how our traumatic experiences could engage with them. At a young age I knew it would take a lot of hard work to become who I wanted to be, but I never knew where to start. How do I stay mentally healthy? What does mental health look like? Will my experiences change me? Later I grew my knowledge and wisdom of how to acknowledge where my mental health stands. God has given me a sequence of trials and errors to figure out how to be a successful man. Not only has he taught me that he is all I need, but also to put my health first and take care of myself. An obstacle I’ve encountered was learning how to be self aware. It has been the largest setback in my life. I struggled with understanding how I felt, as well as changing my emotional support. Not only did I acquire new emotional support, but I summoned Jesus. Jesus has really given me strength and space to set goals, find my values and build new relationships. Health Is Wealth. In other words exclaiming that the healthier one is the wealthier their heart becomes. I often talk to God about my personal life; I ask him for stability and a healthy life. Most importantly I ask for growth within my mental, physical, and emotional health. To have a healthy life doesn't mean to just be happy and feel good. It consists of having control to be self aware of your intrusive emotions. Now it's time to express the specific drought that occured in my life. At this point I had little to no self awareness. Also my mental health really changed my perception of my relationships not only with others but with God. Now I won’t go into specifics about what put me into this point but I will exclaim furthermore how it altered my life. It forced me to gather a voice in order to set goals and build values and morals for myself. Honestly, it was a sign from the Lord to follow him, if not I’d be forced into a negative perspective of how I picture the world around me. I have tried alone for months to counter the events around me and the experiences I face. Overall, I’ve learned that to be the most successful version of myself requires Jesus, self awareness, and understanding of my own life. Mental health is a large factor of everyone's lives, how does it affect you?