2. The Opposite of Depression Isn’t Happiness

I wrote this poem shortly after finding out that one of my old friends passed away.Men’s mental health is real, and it’s often overlooked or ignored.This piece came from that moment — from trying to process loss, anger, and the weight so many men are taught to carry in silence.I originally wrote it in 2023, and aside from updating the line that references the year, it remains exactly as it was when I first wrote it.If you liked this episode, please feel free to leave a review. It helps the podcast continue to reach the people who might need it.

For the longest time, I thought that the opposite of depression was happiness, until I realized that it’s actually expression. I treat this episode as a reflection on expression--on what happens when we finally give ourselves permission to feel, release, or be seen.Not as a way to avoid everything we’ve been through, but as a way to finally move through it so we can come back to ourselves.

In the last year and a half, I’ve taken a bit of a step back from posting on social media. I feel like the reason why I started posting in the first place became a feeling I couldn’t really connect to anymore.So much of what I was making was made from a certain headspace that I couldn’t relate to anymore; a space that saved me from where I was at the time, and a space that I used to connect and help so many people who were feeling similar to that chapter. So much of that earlier content was rooted in the experiences I lived through, so how could I keep posting if I was more focused on what already happened compared to what was happening at that present moment? How could I create more without experiencing more?Season one of this podcast was based on those certain experiences—all rooted in a certain mindset. So now that it’s been a year and a half (almost two) since my last post, I’m hoping to bring a new perspective rooted in newer experiences.In this intro, I want to set the tone for the rest of this season. I don’t want it to be seen as just another podcast season. When the whole season is done, I want it to be seen as a whole body of work instead.There’s a quote that says, “You become who you needed when you were younger.” And I think that becoming the person you needed when you were younger is determined by how willing you are to face what you went through head on and to relearn everything you were led to believe about yourself. Through that, you’ll finally be able to grow into someone new. Through new experiences, you’ll be able to grow and share your wisdom, stand up for what you believe in, and hopefully heal the versions of yourself that needed you when they couldn’t do it themselves.

There are times in our lives when we might feel lost on which way we need to go to be both true to ourselves and also feel a sense of fulfillment. This episode guides us through an Interactive journey to finding our true life intentions, by connecting us with our deepest desires.This episode is based on day one of the 7 Days of Self-Reflection Journal. It’s a completely free download, so If you’re Interested In getting a copy emailed to you, I’m linking the journal below.Free, 7-Day Journal Download: Download Here

I feel like sometimes we hold onto things because they were once given to us. We don’t realize that these things, these burdens, were never ours to carry in the first place. And we’re probably still holding on because we were too young to understand any differently. I’m not saying this in hopes of convincing you that you shouldn’t be feeling shame, guilt, overwhelm, etc. I’m saying it in hopes that it’ll reaffirm you and validate you in what you’re going through (or even what you’ve gone through/will go through as you continue to heal). You’re allowed to feel these things without judgement. I’m saying that it’s ok to lessen the burden. It’s ok to feel guilty for going through everything you’ve been through when you knew less than you know now. AND I’m saying that it’s also something that you can let go of when you’re finally ready and in a space to do so. Go at your own pace… but most importantly, continue to show yourself the love and compassion you needed when you were too young to know any better. Rooting for ya always,- BSJIf you’d like to support the podcast or buy me a cup of tea, visit https://ko-fi.com/brycespencerjones

The biggest obstacle we’ll ever experience in our lifetime is ourselves. We’re all dreamers, wishing to achieve everything that sets our souls on fire. Unfortunately, we come up with reasons why we CAN’T instead of working towards our goals with what we CAN. If you keep waiting to be ready, you’ll never be ready.If you’d like to support the podcast to help fund any future projects, visit https://ko-fi.com/brycespencerjones

The true secret to your healing is all around us. It’s a big part of everything, yet so few people understand it. It’s duality; two opposite, yet complimentary things coming together to create balance. Truly understanding the nature of duality is a perspective shift to hold onto throughout your healing journey. Without a true understanding of duality, you’ll find more attachment to the negative events in your life. With a proper understanding of duality, you can start to find more balance.If you’ve been enjoying these episodes so far, feel free to leave an amazing review to pass the time… maybe after we can go sasquatch hunting or something

Healing is a long and tiring process. A lot of times, it takes longer than we would prefer. So in a world of instant gratification and social media, it can make the long healing process even more overwhelming.

As we go through life, we get caught in many cycles. Unfortunately, some of those cycles were never ours to go through in the first place; only passed down to us by the unhealed parts of the generations before us. As we continue to heal, we must choose which cycles to end and what new cycles to repeat. We must be the ones to make real change.If you’d like to support the podcast to help fund any future projects, visit https://ko-fi.com/brycespencerjones

Inspired by Lauryn Hill’s live album, I wanted to dive deeper into the conversation about the meaning of life. Everyone has a different meaning but I wanted to offer insight on the way that I see the question as well.If you’ve been enjoying these episodes so far, feel free to leave an amazing review to pass the time… maybe after we could take a trip to the art museum and enjoy some high-quality art or something.If you’d like to support the podcast to help fund any future projects, visit https://ko-fi.com/brycespencerjones