Month: November 2019

Enjoying down-time

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Accountability, adaptability, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Contentment, Creativity, Depression, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Fatigue, Fuck Mental Illness, Gaming, Goal Setting, Goals, Habits, Hope, journalism, keystone habits, learning new skills, Legacy, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Photography, PS4, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Self-care, Self-confidence, sheep dogs, Storms, suicide survivor, the fast and the furious, The Outer Worlds, Writing Therapy

Today was the first real "day-off" I've had in a few weeks. The bad news, a chunk of it was playing catch up around the house. The good news is, even with the housework I worked at catching up on, I still managed to get in a couple hours of 'The Outer Worlds' on the … Continue reading Enjoying down-time

Course correction

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Contentment, Creativity, DBT Skills, Depression, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Fatigue, Fitness, Fuck Mental Illness, Goal Setting, Goals, Habits, Hope, journalism, keystone habits, learning new skills, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Self-care, Self-confidence, sheep dogs, Storms, Stress, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

I officially need to back off things a bit. I'm feeling pretty good mentally, but I am getting tired. Physically, my blood pressure and blood sugar levels are stating to hate me as well. I've had som much going on that I haven't b been working out, and my diet has gone to crap, resulting … Continue reading Course correction

Loadout

by thrutheashesblog, posted in Balancing Mental Illness, Creativity, journalism, learning new skills, Making time for what's important, Perspective, Photography, reporter, Self-care, Self-confidence, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

I know that when I started this blog back in 2017 the main purpose of it was to act as a mental health recovery blog, which it still is and shall remain, however I think I'm going to slightly shift the focus to more of my progress in photography. I am loving the photography, and … Continue reading Loadout

Busy day…

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Balancing Mental Illness, borderline personality disorder, bpd, Contentment, DBT Skills, Depression, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Fatigue, Fuck Mental Illness, Goal Setting, Goals, Habits, Hope, journalism, keystone habits, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Photography, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Road Trip!, Scars, Self-care, Self-confidence, sheep dogs, Storms, Stress, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

I am glad that tomorrow is having a somewhat slower start to the day. Up and out the door by 915, to take photos at a new sport group that is operating in town. After that, it was down to Hanna to give a presentation on mental health and PTSD for a class project for … Continue reading Busy day…

You live, you learn…

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Contentment, DBT Skills, Depression, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Fatigue, Fuck Mental Illness, Gaming, Goal Setting, Goals, Habits, Highlight reel, Hope, journalism, keystone habits, learning new skills, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Photography, PS4, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Road Trip!, Self-care, Self-confidence, sheep dogs, small victories, Storms, Stress, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

As busy as today was, I still managed to find some downtime. I was up early, and had the plumber stop in to check on a couple of things that we need to get dealt, then off to the lodge to do a photo shoot for the church members who live up there. It was … Continue reading You live, you learn…

Time to recharge…

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Contentment, Depression, END THE STIGMA, Fatigue, Fuck Mental Illness, Goals, Habits, Hope, journalism, keystone habits, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, Perspective, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Self-care, Self-confidence, sheep dogs, small victories, Storms, Stress, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

Today was definitely harder than yesterday. The material covered during day two of the ASIST course built on the material we covered yesterday, and then gave us plenty of opportunity to practise it. Unfortunately, when it was my turn to put the skills to use, my partner stymied me at every opportunity, resulting in me … Continue reading Time to recharge…

Maintaining

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Contentment, DBT Skills, Depression, END THE STIGMA, Fatigue, Fuck Mental Illness, Goal Setting, Goals, Habits, Hope, journalism, keystone habits, learning new skills, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Photography, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Self-care, sheep dogs, small victories, Storms, Stress, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

Today has been a heavy day. I spent the day on course, taking my Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST.) Talking about suicide and mental health all day has been draining, but also cathartic. The people in the course come from a diverse range of backgrounds, however I did know a few of them, and … Continue reading Maintaining

On the right path

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Contentment, DBT Skills, Depression, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Family, Fatigue, Fuck Mental Illness, Goal Setting, Goals, Habits, Hope, journalism, keystone habits, learning new skills, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Photography, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Self-care, Self-confidence, sheep dogs, small victories, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

After a busier than hell week, today is much slower paced. Today I'm covering in the store and studying. I am more or less caught up on my work related activities, which feels pretty good. I'm more than happy to take advantage of a quieter day, especially since I'm jumping back into the fray tomorrow. … Continue reading On the right path

Finding my stride…

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Accountability, adaptability, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Contentment, DBT Skills, Depression, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Family, Fatigue, Fuck Mental Illness, Goal Setting, Goals, Habits, Highlight reel, Hope, journalism, keystone habits, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Photography, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Scars, Self-care, Self-confidence, sheep dogs, small victories, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

I was up and out the door early today. I was covering a 9 a.m. meeting of our local county council, and unlike many of these types of meetings, it ran long. I didn't end up getting out there until 1230. On the bright side, though, T ended up joining me for lunch after both … Continue reading Finding my stride…

downtime…

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, COD:WWII, Colour spectrum, contemplation, Contentment, DBT Skills, Depression, END THE STIGMA, Entertainment, Fuck Mental Illness, Gaming, Habits, Hope, journalism, keystone habits, learning new skills, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, PS4, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Road Trip!, Self-care, Self-confidence, sheep dogs, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

For a switch, today was a much quieter, yet still productive day. I slept in, played some Playstation, then opened the store for Lynn while she nursed a migraine. After she made it down to the store I ended up meeting with MF to have lunch and discuss plans for our the upcoming training we … Continue reading downtime…

Running Hard

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Contentment, Creativity, DBT Skills, Depression, END THE STIGMA, Fatigue, Fuck Mental Illness, Gaming, Goal Setting, Goals, Habits, Hope, journalism, keystone habits, learning new skills, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Photography, PS4, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Self-care, Self-confidence, sheep dogs, small victories, Storms, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

I've been running hard for the last few days. Between meetings, covering the store, church commitments , and school, I've been busy. I've been busy, and I'm definitely feeling some fatigue creeping in. The thing is, I'm feeling good-tired, not exhausted, and there is definitely a difference. When the exhaustion sets in, I don't want … Continue reading Running Hard

Flash fiction; Dogs of war

by thrutheashesblog, posted in Creativity, Entertainment, Fiction, Making time for what's important, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

The explosion broke the silence of the pre-dawn desert. Our SEAL element was conducting a raid on a small village in western Afghanistan. The date was September 15, 2001. As soon as the towers came down on September 11 our entire unit was recalled to base. Seventy-two hours ago our friends in the agency presented … Continue reading Flash fiction; Dogs of war

Productivity…

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, adaptability, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Contentment, Creativity, DBT Skills, Depression, Dogs, END THE STIGMA, Entertainment, Faith, Fatigue, Fuck Mental Illness, Gaming, Goal Setting, Goals, Habits, Highlight reel, Hope, journalism, keystone habits, learning new skills, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Photography, PS4, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Road Trip!, Self-care, Self-confidence, Self-harm, sheep dogs, small victories, Uncategorized, Uncharted, Writing Therapy

Today was a somewhat productive day. I started the day by letting myself sleep in a bit, then when I got mobile I started catching up on some office work that I had been neglecting for too long. Then I was out the door, doing another photoshoot with a previous client. After the photoshoot I … Continue reading Productivity…

Progress

Featured by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Contentment, Creativity, DBT Skills, Depression, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Fuck Mental Illness, Goal Setting, Goals, Habits, Highlight reel, Hope, journalism, keystone habits, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Self-care, Self-confidence, sheep dogs, small victories, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

Today was the start of "new normal" for Fridays. With the girl who was working Fridays moving on to a full-time job, after some deliberation Lynn and I decided that I would do the regular cover for that day, though with my schedule we definitely have some wiggle room. I think it will be good … Continue reading Progress

A change in perspective

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Contentment, Creativity, DBT Skills, Depression, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Fuck Mental Illness, Goal Setting, Goals, Habits, Hope, Injured List, journalism, keystone habits, learning new skills, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Photography, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Road Trip!, Self-care, Self-confidence, sheep dogs, Stress, suicide survivor, the fast and the furious, Writing Therapy

Well today was a mix of good and bad. The good news is that the rotator tear I was previously diagnosed with in my right shoulder is no longer an issue. The bad news is that the ultrasound apparently showed the development of bursitis in the shoulder, which explains the ache. They opted to do … Continue reading A change in perspective

Keeping busy, but finding downtime too.

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Contentment, DBT Skills, Depression, END THE STIGMA, Entertainment, Fuck Mental Illness, Gaming, Goal Setting, Goals, Habits, Injured List, journalism, just for fun, keystone habits, learning new skills, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Physical injury, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Road Trip!, Self-care, Self-confidence, sheep dogs, small victories, suicide survivor, The Outer Worlds, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

Today was steady. I didn't have a lot on the books schedule-wise, but after last night's council meeting I did spend a good chunk of my day researching and writing. However, that was broken up by a visit from my editor in Stettler. He's been on the job as the editor for the Stettler paper … Continue reading Keeping busy, but finding downtime too.

Game Review: The Outer Worlds (No Spoilers)

by thrutheashesblog, posted in Entertainment, Fiction, Game review, Gaming, journalism, my story isn't over yet., Self-care, The Outer Worlds, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

"The Outer Worlds" has been a fun game so far. Produced by Obsidian, the creator of fan-favourite "Fallout: New Vegas," the game can be used as a study to see what would happen if corporations take over control of space exploration. Set in the distant future, the player is a settler on a colony ship … Continue reading Game Review: The Outer Worlds (No Spoilers)

Lest we forget…

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Accountability, adaptability, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Contentment, DBT Skills, Depression, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Fuck Mental Illness, journalism, keystone habits, Learn from history!, Making time for what's important, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Politics, ptsd, Remembrance Day, reporter, Storms, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

Photo by Social Soup Social Media on Pexels.com "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf," -George Orwell. Photo by Elina Sazonova on Pexels.com Canada would not be the country it is today, if not for the volunteers who have gone to war, … Continue reading Lest we forget…

Sparks

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, adaptability, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Contentment, Creativity, DBT Skills, Depression, Emergency medical services, ems, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Fuck Mental Illness, Goals, Habits, Hope, journalism, keystone habits, learning new skills, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Photography, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Scars, Self-care, Self-confidence, sheep dogs, sparks, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

Photo by Malte Lu on Pexels.com The last few years have been rough. There is no getting around that. I still miss my past life as an EMT. I had a love and passion for that job that I can't explain. I loved the adrenaline rush when the tones would drop. I loved that I … Continue reading Sparks

Seeking my own approval

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Anxiety, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Contentment, DBT Skills, Depression, END THE STIGMA, Fuck Mental Illness, Gaming, Goal Setting, Goals, Habits, keystone habits, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, PS4, ptsd, reporter, Self-care, Self-confidence, sheep dogs, small victories, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

Today was fairly quiet. I managed to get some time in on the "Outer Worlds," wrote some mental health related opinion pieces for the paper, did a couple hours of studying, housework, and even managed to get 20 minutes in on the treadmill. All in all it's been a productive day. I also received my … Continue reading Seeking my own approval

Slowing down

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Contentment, DBT Skills, Depression, END THE STIGMA, Entertainment, Fatigue, Fitness, Fuck Mental Illness, Gaming, Goal Setting, Goals, Habits, Hope, Injured List, journalism, keystone habits, learning new skills, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Movie, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Physical injury, PS4, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Road Trip!, Self-care, Self-confidence, sheep dogs, Storms, suicide survivor, the fast and the furious, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

I am looking forward to sleep tonight. It's going to be in my own bed. It's been a busy, but productive week. I'm glad it's over though, because it was too much time on the road. The second day of my second course was definitely better than the first. It was more defined, and explored … Continue reading Slowing down

Busy days

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Contentment, DBT Skills, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Fatigue, Fuck Mental Illness, Goal Setting, Goals, Habits, Hope, Injured List, journalism, keystone habits, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Photography, Physical injury, ptsd, Pushing myself, Remembrance Day, reporter, Road Trip!, Self-care, sheep dogs, Stress, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

I have not been able to write anywhere near as much I would like recently. Fortunately, my schedule should be settling back down to normal as of Friday. I am definitely looking forward to it, because so far in November I've been home under two days. I was in Edmonton on the weekend for my … Continue reading Busy days

Learning my craft

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, Colour spectrum, contemplation, Contentment, Creativity, DBT Skills, Depression, END THE STIGMA, Fuck Mental Illness, Goals, Habits, Highlight reel, Hope, journalism, keystone habits, learning new skills, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Photography, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Road Trip!, Self-care, Self-confidence, sheep dogs, small victories, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

Over this last weekend I attended a photography workshop with Greg Johnson, the Tornado Hunter. I've learned a lot about photography in the last couple years, however the basic course I took the weekend reenforced the foundation that I had built. The course was definitely worth the time and money that it took. Using humour, … Continue reading Learning my craft

On course

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Balancing Mental Illness, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Creativity, DBT Skills, Depression, END THE STIGMA, Fuck Mental Illness, Goal Setting, Goals, Habits, Highlight reel, Hope, journalism, keystone habits, learning new skills, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Photography, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Road Trip!, Self-care, Self-confidence, sheep dogs, small victories, Stress, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

The last couple of days have been busy. Up early for an interview yesterday, followed by a couple hours of work before meeting Lynn for lunch. After lunch, I headed off to Edmonton for the weekend. I'm in the city taking a photography course. So far we have covered concepts that I am familiar with, … Continue reading On course