28 augustus 2023

"A big turning point for me was being able to ask someone for help. There’s always someone there with a shoulder."

Johnny's story: Depression doesn't discriminate
Real Stories
3 MIN READ
“I don’t think people have a choice whether they can grow a beard or they can’t. I’d love to have a thicker beard, we always want what we can’t have, but your beard is going to grow in the way that it’s naturally going to grow, and, in that way I think the beard chooses you.

Being a barber at a young age and then moving to a big city and owning my own business, was hard. All of a sudden I’m a 24 year old business owner and I’ve got all this responsibility. I was lucky to have a few mentors in my life and I always tell people, find someone to mentor you. A big turning point for me was being able to ask someone for help, realising that being a man was being able to walk up to someone, be strong and say “you’ve done this before, what would you do?”
I also think its important to realise that there’s always someone there with a shoulder. When someone asks how your day is, believe that they’re being sincere, don’t be jaded by everything that is happening around you. There are kind people out there and if someone asks how your day is, don’t be afraid to tell them "I’ve had a pretty bad day”. You’ll be surprised at what their answer will be.

The best advice someone ever gave me was one of my mentors. He said to me “Tommy, how do you wake up every morning?” I said, “I have a shower, I get dressed and I go to work”. I said, “how do you wake up” and he said “I go into the bathroom, I dim the lights a little bit and I repeat to myself ‘I am a good looking, happy man’“ and I said "why do you do that?” And he said, “because if I don’t do it, no-one else will”. And I thought that was brilliant, you know. Just wake up each morning and tell yourself you’re a good person just in case someone else doesn’t.”
 
 
 

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