Barbie Perkins-Cooper, Author

This morning I awoke from another night of fitful sleep, exhausted once again. Yesterday, I gave in to it, allowing my depression and lack of energy to defeat me. Today, I procrastinated for a bit, then finally forced myself to get up and get busy. Get off this computer. Move your legs…move your butt…just move! Isn’t that what Michelle Obama tells everyone. Just move! Great advice, but yesterday, I simply gave in.

Today is Wednesday…a new day! I refuse to allow my depression and lack of energy to defeat me today. Yesterday, I had a bit of anticipated bad news about someone once close to my life. I’ll not mention, or elaborate what the news was, but those who truly know me understand. While it would be easy for me to just say, “To Hell with it…” I will not. I have dragged myself out of the depths of depression many times…and to those of you who do not understand the struggles of depression, believe me, you are blessed to never have experienced it. The lack of energy…the sadness…the emotional roller coaster…the tears… It is so easy to allow it to bring a person down, but I’ve been down before, recognizing that when I am emotionally buried within that deep hole, there is no where else to go, but up! Today is a new day!

Rushing to style my hair a bit, I dressed and headed to the Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge. Today, regardless how I felt I was certain that a swift walk on the bridge was the only drug I needed to get me moving again.

I’ll attempt the first tower. Maybe I’ll feel better. The walk begins. The wind is brisk in my face, almost taking my breath away. I was suddenly thankful I had remembered to pack my inhaler in my bag, in the event I needed it. Inhaling. Exhaling. I continue the walk, forcing my legs to move faster. I time my walks, always curious as to how long it will take. The first walk was four miles total. I made this journey in 2.5 hours. Maybe not a good time for some people, but while I’m not a beginner walker, the bridge is a challenge.

Today, I made it to the first tower in about 20 minutes. OK. Maybe not great…but I’m asthmatic and the wind is forcing me to slow down a bit. Accomplishing the first tower, off I go to the second span from the Mt. Pleasant side. I am proud to say, today was a new day for me…a great day…I walked three miles on the bridge in 1 hour 28 minutes! Oh Happy Day!

Today, not only did I do something for my health, my emotional health and my demeanor, I broke my walking record while proving to myself that when the depths of depression attempt to bring me down, I can fight back without being violent (violence is not in my character) and I can beat it by feeding myself positive mental feedback!

Yes, I still worry about the situation that I heard about yesterday, but that situation is truly out of my hands. I cannot control what happened, nor can I change it. I cannot allow those sad days to bring me down, and I cannot let bad news influence me. After all, I am the person I am today because I chose to move away and not look back on my life, or the emotional scars I have endured on my journey of life. I have to continue to make life an adventure. Today, I am proud of my achievements…and I am thrilled that I can do what I set out to do today, while making a road map for future adventures. Walking the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge is only one of my journeys in life.

How about you? What are your journeys? Dreams? Accomplishments? Let us all live to survive life by making lemonade when life gives us lemons!

There is a cliché I live by now — “This I do for me!”

Another valuable lesson in life to guide me through the disappointments and life’s challenges!