[Noodles_320]

I am a newbie to this forum....thank you all for sharing parts of your journey. It has and will continue to be an inspiration to me. I am 44 years old and my journey began at age 16 (1985) when I experienced my first major depressive episode. I will never forget that experience. At that time I felt I only had two options; death or struggle. I am thankful I opted to struggle.

I was diagnosed with BP in 1999. Anyone who is not bipolar and says I know how you feel is full of ****. There is no way to possibly understand what we feel on a daily basis. The highs, the lows, the rage, joy, anger, compassion, fear, love, etc.

I wanted so share a quote that has help me over the recent years.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

----from A Return to Love, by Marianne Williamson

I love that quote, even though I'm not a follower of Williamson's work (I don't agree with some of the things she teaches).

Thanks for sharing