Mental Health/Mental Wealth
We all know what mental health is. However, mental wealth is something that we all have as well but know exactly what it is. So, what is mental wealth? I believe that we all have a bank stored inside our brains that we use to store our emotions. You ever get angry and want to give that person who cut you off a piece of your mind? Those angry thoughts that you have are pennies...yes they technically count as currency but you will have a hard time exchanging them for anything of value.
The mental wealth bank is also full of ten, twenty, fifty, and hundred dollar bills. We exchange these daily with people during our interactions throughout the day. Someone may be having a horrible day and their mental wealth bank may be running a little low on funds. Something as small as a "hello, how are you" is an exchange that deposits positive thoughts (or mental health dollars) into their bank.
Some veterans deal with PTSD and the stressors that contribute to this illness drain us of our mental wealth. Have you ever tried to take money out of your bank account and cross your fingers while the ATM is determining if you have the funds? This is what life is like for some veterans dealing with PTSD and other forms of mental illness. This can apply to civilians as well because at some point in our lives it is likely that we will have a mental health emergency.
A good question to ask is what do we do when our mental health bank is close to over drafting? We are trying to put on our best fake smile and push through our day but life requires us to put 110% into every day. What I have found to be very helpful is to align myself with what I call a mental health millionaire. This is someone who is mentally wealthy and has enough mental health dollars to give to everyone without asking for anything in return.
These are the people who we know are always in a positive mood. They light up the room with their smile and when they laugh it seems to cure you of whatever is ailing you at the moment. Their is a saying that if you hang around a millionaire long enough you will become a millionaire. The same can be said for a mental health millionaire.
Mental health millionaires are what I call people who have an unlimited amount of mental health dollars. They are the people that are full of joy and can brighten even the gloomiest day. These mental health millionaires tend to make everyone around them feel great because they are willing to share their mental wealth with everyone.
Telling a joke at the perfect time, or letting you know that they were thinking of you just when you didn't think anyone was is what these millionaires are great at. By know you should be able to think of who is the mental health millionaire in your life. Get close to them, make sure that you exchange your mental currency with them often. Even millionaires have bad days and even though you may have limited mental health funds, your dollar may go a long way for the millionaire down on their luck.
We all know what mental health is. Hopefully after spending this time with me today you realize the importance of mental wealth. Mental health millionaires play an important role in society. If you are mental wealth bank is low on funds be sure to see the mental millionaire in your network so they can deposit positive vibes into your mental wealth bank!
