JC Clapham

Pretty chuffed to be this month’s featured profile in my local community newspaper.

I mention having a breakdown mid-2016. Because I did. And I feel no shame about that.

A lot has changed since then.

I’m no longer an award-winning senior executive (at present).

I’m no longer married.

And I’m less certain of what my future holds (though I am working on it).

But…

I am a fantastic, involved and adored father to my three wonderful children.

I feel freer from others’ expectations, and from my own.

I see falling down as the necessary opportunity to catch my breath and stand up again, but stronger.

And I feel I probably needed to break down so I could cut away the accumulated rubbish and only hold on to things and people that were truly good for me.

There is no shame in falling apart.

There is no shame in owning your mental health challenges and being open about them.

There is no shame in crawling away from things that weaken and break you.

But there is so much opportunity and future joy to be derived from acknowledging your personal crises and working through them, however slowly you need to.

The sun really will come up again tomorrow, or the day after, or the day after that.

And you’ll smile wider when you reach for the sunscreen 🙂