Not going to lie, the last few months have been tough. Heck, this whole year has been difficult so far. None of what’s happened is particularly special, or unique, it’s just what happens to someone who owns a small business sometimes. Current clients cut back or disappear. New clients are slow to book or a promising alliance falls through. Suddenly what seemed to be going well, isn’t, quite.

Money is tight, and, because of my past, that’s scary to me. I also deal with depression, and some days it’s hard to keep my spirits up and my eyes on positive moves. When your brain is telling you that everything is hopeless and dark and you’ll never get yourself out of what feels like the abyss, you start Googling which of your prescription meds could kill you if you took too many. Or wondering if sleeping in a cardboard box down by the river would really be so bad. Or slumping on the couch and wondering how many hours of watching mindless videos on YouTube is too many.

Here’s the thing to remember, though, and it applies to everyone who’s going through a challenging time. This is temporary. And all the things you had going for you when everything was going amazingly well are still the things you have now. And I’m not talking a Netflix subscription or a brand new car every year type of things, I’m talking the traits that made you successful in the first place. You still have those, and if they helped you achieve some level of success in the past, they can do it again.

What’s important both for your present and your future is what you’re doing now, right this minute, while things seem scary and tough and maybe insurmountable. Are you examining your options, figuring out what could offer the best return and charging full steam ahead? Are you talking to trusted and friends and colleagues and asking for the support you need? Are you being kind to yourself, exercising, eating well, getting enough sleep, monitoring your self talk for harshness and negativity? Are you believing, despite what might be bad decisions, bad choices and bad breaks, that you’re worth the work it takes to pull yourself out of this slump?

Adversity will happen in every life. Sometimes things get dark and tough and hard. That’s just how it works. And all the platitudes about surviving 100% of your worst days are annoying and kind of bullshit, but they’re also true. I’ve been in this place, or one similar to it, in the past. I know this darkness, and I know how to get out of it. I’m not saying it will always be easy or fun, but it can be done.

So, not gonna lie, the last few months have been tough.

But being in the abyss doesn’t mean you have to stay there.

I’ve been here before, and I know the way out.

If you want to be part of my way out – please buy my book or support my work on future projects. I’m also looking for writing, marketing or editing gigs.