Author: Rebecca Lombardo 

Up until very recently, the last thing in the world I would call myself is brave. I’m still having difficulty accepting it some days. What I saw is what my Bipolar Disorder told me to see: me, curled up in a ball on my bed in tears, too afraid to go anywhere or talk to anyone. I was never able to sit down and process the fact that I made it through that day and many others regardless of how painful it might have been at the time.

You may or may not be able to get out of bed and perform basic functions today, but who is to say that you won’t feel differently tomorrow? I constantly have to remind myself that tomorrow is a new day. And when I catch myself falling into that pit of guilt, I try to remember what my husband always says to me – “If all you did today was breathe, I am proud of you for that”. 

As difficult as struggling with Bipolar Disorder can be, we have to strive for even the smallest of goals. Brush your teeth today, maybe take a shower. And when you’re able to accomplish the big ones, and your energy builds, try leaving the house for a walk, or even going to the store. Always remember how truly brave you are for overcoming the overwhelming and crippling depression from just the other day – you made it through it!

That, my friend is the essence of bravery. You may not feel like it right now, but one day it will hit you how grateful you are that you have come so far, and if you stumble, you know you have it in there to work through your struggles!

Now, here’s the real trick; keeping all of this in mind to remember myself when I’m getting down on myself once again. I’ve been brave enough to come out and tell my extremely difficult story through my blog and my book. I’ve spoken on as many platforms as I possibly can, and I am still searching for people who want to listen. I could have been rejected 100 times over. The challenge is conquering your feelings of inadequacy and remembering just exactly who you are!

You are brave and don’t you forget it!