Bipolar Life

How Optimism Makes You Powerful for Fighting Mental Illness

The day my whole world changed and how I got through it.

“We’re shutting down the project,” Scotty, the director of collector operations, told me.

I almost dropped my white cordless phone as I pictured him in his dark, wood-paneled office, the top of his head sweating through his greased-down comb-over.

“I’m sorry, what?” I asked.

“If you believe it will work out, you’ll see opportunities. If you believe it won’t, you will see obstacles.” — Wayne Dyer

The Day It All Changed

It was 1994.

I owned a small credit research business where I collected information from local court houses and sent it to companies that sold the information to credit bureaus. Scotty represented the only company I had left as two others had already closed their doors. Scotty’s company had been around for decades and all of us who worked with them expected it to continue for many more years.

“We’re shutting it down,” Scotty said again. “This internet thing is making us obsolete.”

“How soon?” I asked him, trying to figure out how I was going to explain this massive blow to my four employees.

“Today,” he said, then paused for a moment so I could absorb the full impact.

“I’m sorry,” he continued, “but I have to call a lot more collectors.”

With a click, Scotty and my business were gone.

What Next?

I was 22 years old.

The year before, my business exploded. I went from covering five counties in southeast Tennessee to all of east Tennessee and north Georgia. Money was coming in faster than my young mind could process, but with undiagnosed bipolar and the ignorance of youth, the only money I had in the bank was what I owed my employees.

The only cash in my wallet was a wrinkled dollar bill.

Panic held me frozen, my phone still against my ear long after Scotty hung up.

What I am going to do? my mind screamed, as I thought of the rent, utilities, and other monthly expenses that would soon be due.

Then I remembered how just two years before I left Wisconsin and moved to start a new life in Tennessee with nothing but a little furniture and a small loan from a friend.

Things worked out with the move, so I had to believe things would work out again.

Optimism Holds Power

The power of optimism would help me see the opportunities around me. The whole when-one-door-closes thing had to be real.

You should never underestimate the power of optimism, especially when it comes to managing bipolar disorder. Optimism can help you see possibilities where others see only problems. It can help you find hope in difficult times.

And it can motivate you to keep going even when you feel like giving up.

Clinging to optimism is one of the key ingredients to managing my bipolar disorder successfully. When bad things happen, instead of dwelling on it or beating myself up, I try to look for the lessons and opportunities. This helps me stay positive and motivated to keep going.

When my business abruptly ended, I got to work.

I signed up with a temp agency two days later, to guarantee an income, and then started exploring my options. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, I viewed the situation as an opportunity to do something different with my life.

And you know what?

It worked out better than I could have ever imagined.

Time Helps

The temp job gave me time to think until I found a great job managing an office.

The pay was almost what I was taking home from my business, but now someone else was paying the employment taxes. What I loved even more, is the change got me off the road. Instead of driving a thousand miles a week, I only drove ten miles to my new office.

If you’re feeling down about your situation, try to look for the silver lining.

It might just be the thing that helps you get through tough times and come out stronger on the other side. Remember that optimism can help you see possibilities where others see only problems.

Try looking for the open doors, and you might just find your way out of the darkness and into the light.

Get Out Your Pen

Use these prompts to help you write about sudden changes.

Journal Prompt: Write about a time when your life was suddenly turned upside down. How did you get through the changes? What did the experience teach you about yourself?

Creative Writing Prompt: Write a story that begins with a character saying, “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you, but it’s over.”

Until next time, keep fighting.

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