The Vision:
I founded Respect Your Gift in January of 2017.
That was the beginning of my advocacy.
At the time mental health was a me too culture:
“I’m diagnosed with this… I suffer from that…”
My response was what I call Optimistic Mental Health.
The Message:
Respect Your Gift is built on three principles:
- Optimistic Perspective
- Foundational Value
- Celebratory Tone
Drawing positive associations to the topic of mental health communicates value, value is motivating and the value of our mental health can motivate us to take care.
How do we take care?
We take care with the active pursuit of good health – also known as wellness. Wellness is how we build a strong foundation, respect our gifts and celebrate our mental health.
The Outcome:
The associations we draw to the topic of mental health are critical because they shape our thinking and guide our actions.
It may not be ideal, but the most significant thing I’ve learned about mental health is that taking care is the closest thing we have to a solution.
That means our focus should be to take care.
This video from the Little League World Series is an optimistic association that communicates value. It’s a solutions-oriented example of wellness that shows us one way to take care, and at the end of the day taking care is the closet thing we have to a solution.
So, smell the roses and keep going.
From enhancing lives to saving them…
Small steps. Great distances.℠
You know… Let’s go!℠