My first job out of college sucked the soul out of me. My degree turned out to be more of a coupon with an expiration date than a ticket to a fulfilled life. I didn’t prosper on any level, and it began to affect my mental health. I had thoughts of suicide because if this was as good as it got, I didn’t need to suffer through the pain of living a crappy life.
After all, when an animal was in pain or suffering on our Wyoming ranch, my dad brought out his Remington 30.06 rifle and put the miserable beast out of its misery. So, likewise, I needed someone to put me out of my misery; it took a while to realize that the “someone” would need to be me.
I had a few hard years. It took a while for me to get my shit together enough to move on to another career, one that would provide a sense of meaning and purpose. In other words, a life trajectory that led to a sense of wellbeing.
I’m not the only one who seeks wellbeing in their current circumstances. The Covid pandemic has shaken us to our roots and left us questioning how/if we can ever regain our balance. Those who work in the medical profession feel an acute threat to their wellbeing as yet another Covid surge is just one more burden on top of an already untenable situation.
