Category Archives: Mental Health

The positives about being positive

Posted on by
2

Happy Monday,

Before I dive into today’s “The positives about being positive” I want to address my recent blogging experience. Two weeks ago I did a pull-it-out-of-my-ass blog post regarding my “Current health advice” and I received my highest daily blog hits in months. Actually, I was this close to not blogging at all and taking another hiatus because I think I’m at another point in my life where I don’t need this blog as much (we’ll see what next week brings). But, something told me to keep going and I decided to just write a simple post which shared some obvious things to me but could be not-so-obvious to newcomers or sporadic readers. The post included a-day-in-the-life perspectives so it wasn’t too much sweat off my back, whereas last week I posted a no-commentary-figure-the-meaning-out-on-your-own interview between interviewer Bill Moyers and the late Joseph Campbell, a world-renowned myth-buster and saw some of my lowest Monday site visits. Honest to gad, I put so much more effort into simply listening to and writing down the words of that interview than writing some of the reoccurring themes of this health blog. Why? Because I got SO much more out of the interview with Joseph Campbell and to me, at this point in my journey, his perspectives had that much more of an impact on me than my olden days of reading health magazines for “fat-busting foods” or “calorie-burning work outs” or “muscle-building meals.” But, I think that’s where most people are at right now with this age of instant gratification. Information is in-demand to be short, concise, to the point, and in 140 characters or less. And so the post that I believe people can actually take a lot more from – i.e. self-awareness, self-discovery – saw the least amount of hits and the post that appealed more was in a bulleted form that a sheep could have provided. Interesting stuff. Onto today…

Two weeks ago I created an experiment that only I was aware of; it was an experiment of how positivity – being outwardly positive – affects a) myself and b) those around me. I didn’t have much faith on my possible mentality-shift with this little scheme but I, at least, wanted to see if I could brighten the day of those with whom I interacted (since I currently work at a hospital and that shit can get depressing). My day job (because my public health musings and my back-to-basics-warehouse-band guitar playing don’t quite pay the bills yet) has me interacting with a varied public on a daily basis. One by one people come and go, and as they come, I am provided an opportunity to greet someone first. “Hey, how are you doing today?” is my go-to greeting. I usually get, “Well, ok I guess” or an “I’m alright.” And when posed with the return question, two weeks ago I decided to respond with “I’m doing great!” This was a great stretch from my previous “Alright” default because I knew I didn’t feel great… I felt alright and the word “Great” better be backed up by a genuine smile and telling poise otherwise I’d be standing there like Chevy Chase in Memoirs of an Invisible Man. But I convinced myself to convince myself and wouldn’t you know it…

A week into this thing I noticed a few changes. I drew more smiles than usual, I created more conversation than normal, and I began to feel better about myself. Yep, and Bingo was his name-o. I literally felt better about myself – in my brains AND in my bodies. Sure, I had confidence my all-smiles greeting would bring some greatness into other’s lives, but I didn’t think it would do the trick for me. Perhaps I’ve been shat on one too many times or that I’m still wading my way through the sh-tuff, but Mr. Guru Perspective Shift Queen of Oneness over here didn’t have the confidence that a simple response of “I’m great!” really would have a profound internal experience and, thus, a perspective-shifting result! I’d be a Monkey’s Uncle if i said it weren’t true. It’s yet ANOTHER beautiful example of how the mind and body can act upon the same level.

In my seconds on this planet I’ve experienced a handful of people who consistently return with their versions of “I’m great!” and I’m sure you have, too. AND I’m sure you can count those posi-peoples on your fingers. I’m not off when I say that most people do not respond with “Great” – at best we provide a half-assed “Good” with a subliminal “I guess” lagging behind. I want to invite you all to do participate. Because we all know the whole P.M.A. talk doesn’t do a damn thing unless you start walking that talk. I’m on week three of the “I’m great challenge” (aka the IGC) and it’s done wonders for the way I hold myself and the way I am able to interact with others. Seriously. When someone asks how you’re doing, say, “I’m great!” and mean it (insert The Starting Line reference).

jdperryhealth.com
jdperryhealth.tumblr.com
jdperryhealth@gmail.com

Define: Depression

Posted on by
3

Happy Monday amigos,

I want to go out on a limb with today’s post and tackle the topic of De-press-she-own. I will be simplifying the hell out of depression. I will probably piss some people off. I will probably leave some things out. I will probably not be right on some claims… but that doesn’t mean that I’m wrong. I will be focusing on depression’s possible cause… because depression… is a symptom… a result… of something greater… of something underneath it all.

via Pub Med…

Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods.

True clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for weeks or longer.

The exact cause of depression is not known. Many researchers believe it is caused by chemical changes in the brain. This may be due to a problem with your genes, or triggered by certain stressful events. More likely, it’s a combination of both. Some types of depression run in families. But depression can also occur if you have no family history of the illness. Anyone can develop depression, even kids.

via WebMD…

Most people have felt sad or depressed at times. Feeling depressed can be a normal reaction to loss, life’s struggles, or an injured self-esteem.

But when feelings of intense sadness — including feeling helpless, hopeless, and worthless — last for many days to weeks and keep you from functioning normally, your depression may be something more than sadness. It may very well be clinical depression — a treatable medical condition.

According to the DSM-IV, a manual used to diagnose mental disorders, depression occurs when you have at least five of the following symptoms at the same time:

  • A depressed mood during most of the day, particularly in the morning
  • Fatigue or loss of energy almost every day
  • Feelings of worthlessness or guilt almost every day
  • Impaired concentration, indecisiveness
  • Insomnia (an inability to sleep) or hypersomnia (excessive sleeping) almost every day
  • Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in almost all activities nearly every day
  • Recurring thoughts of death or suicide (not just fearing death)
  • A sense of restlessness or being slowed down
  • Significant weight loss or weight gain

A key sign of depression is either depressed mood or loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. For a diagnosis of depression, these signs should be present most of the day either daily or nearly daily for at least two weeks. In addition, the depressive symptoms need to cause clinically significant distress or impairment. They cannot be due to the direct effects of a substance, for example, a drug or medication. Nor can they be the result of a medical condition such as hypothyroidism. Finally, symptoms that occur within two months of the loss of a loved one are not considered to be clinical depression.

Ok. Let’s see here. Apparently for “true clinical depression,” one must have a “mood disorder.” I have come across a lot of selfish assholes in my time on this earth and I would certainly throw them into the mix of a “mood disorder,” but does that make them depressed? Well, it’s possible. We tend to correlate “sad, blue, unhappy, and miserable” to people who are depressed, but what about the assholes, the bastards, the pricks of this world that simply manifest their sadness in a different manner? According to these definitions, an asshole is just an asshole but a very, very sad person is labeled and put on medication. And why do we have to label it as a “mood disorder”? Why the labels? That just promotes seclusion and finger-pointing. Just because someone is sad, angry, or annoyed all of the time doesn’t mean they have a “disorder.” They have real-life problems and either manifest it differently than others, have a different way of handling it than others, cannot come to terms with their situation, or are completely unaware of their situation.

“The exact cause of depression is not known.” That’s the medical community’s excuse for, “Here, this medication should help.” Drugs make money. And doctor’s make money by writing prescriptions. I really do not believe that “anti-depressants” are necessary (have you SEEN the side effects on these tranquilizers?!). This is not medical advice and I am not telling anyone to stop taking their medication if they are prescribed such. This is my opinion. So, what causes depression? I can think of two generalized possibilities… 1) Traumas, shames, blames, comparisons, boundaries, expectations, let-downs, hard-times, abuse, illness, failure, pressure, stress… you know, all of the mental and emotional experiences throughout one’s lifetime that could manifest into a “disorder;” i.e., a person’s thoughts have been affected by something(s) throughout their lifetime and they are still dealing with that experience (because thoughts never die… only people do). 2) Another route could be the physical aspect of life: malnourished diet, over exercise or exertion, poor digestion, leaky-gut syndrome, constipation/slow bowel-transit time or elimination, gut bacteria imbalance or parasite/bacterial infection, vitamin or mineral deficiencies, blood-sugar mishandling, hormone imbalance, stress hormone responses, or poor/improper sleeping patterns.

Now, we’re all familiar with the first, mental/emotional, approach and I don’t think I’m too out of left field on the second, physical, approach. We produce a good amount of hormones within our digestive system. If I recall it’s around 60%+ of the hormones are born and raised in our small intestine, which is also the main site for nutrient absorption and the home of millions of digestive bacteria (that have minds and manipulations of their own). And, around 90%+ of our Serotonin (5-HTP) is made there, too. You know, that stuff that apparently makes us “feel good” and all sleepy-like. The thing about Serotonin (and SSRI’s) is that it’s not the problem… it’s the symptom. If a person has an imbalanced Serotonin count, why the hell do we think… “Ok, let’s provide them a platform for more Serotonin and all will be well!”? IT’S A SYMPTOM, peoples. And Serotonin doesn’t work alone. NONE of the hormones in our body work alone nor does anything produced by, ingested in, or applied to our body; it’s a system of systems! That’s like prescribing

I poked enough at PubMed. Now, WebMD’s take… to requote…

For a diagnosis of depression, these signs should be present most of the day either daily or nearly daily for at least two weeks. In addition, the depressive symptoms need to cause clinically significant distress or impairment. They cannot be due to the direct effects of a substance, for example, a drug or medication. Nor can they be the result of a medical condition such as hypothyroidism. Finally, symptoms that occur within two months of the loss of a loved one are not considered to be clinical depression.

MUST BE DAILY or DAILY for AT LEAST two weeks to be clinically “sad.” [Symptoms] cannot be due to the direct effects of a substance… so then my food theory is out of the question? And that other medical drugs can’t fuck you up, either? NOR CAN THEY BE A RESULT OF A MEDICAL CONDITION SUCH AS HYPOTHYROIDISM... Um, do you not understand how the body and mind work together? Do you not think that perhaps ezcema… a skin-disorder “medical condition”… can’t affect a kid’s ability to be happy and healthy while walking down the middle school hallways with funky looking arms that could possibly lead to verbal abuse by ignorant kids? Finally, symptoms that occur within two months of the loss of a lvoed one are not considered to be clinical depression. HEY, you… the one who just lost their loved one… you’re not sad… you’re making that shit up… so suck it up because medical science says there’s nothing wrong with you! Oh, you cry all the time, your bowel movements are off, you’ve lost a significant amount of weight, you have no appetite, you’ve gone into reclusion, and you sleep all of the time? You’re fine… trust me.

If you are dealing with depression, please, please, please get it in your head that there is nothing “wrong” with you. No, it’s not a “chemical imbalance”! I freaking HATE that dumb-ass reasoning. Yes, people’s “chemicals” may be “abnormal” but it’s a symptom. I can sit in front of the TV to watch 9/11 videos all day and I can guarantee you that my “brain chemicals” would follow a path towards “clinical depression.” No, you don’t have to fit a molded standard to be “sad.” No, you aren’t alone. Yes, you are normal. Yes, you are allowed to be sad.

My approach to depression: Learn everything about you, your life, who you are, why you are, how you get here, why you got here, and all of the factors that make you… you: Your past, your family, your friends, your diet, your lifestyle, your sleeping patterns, your bowel patterns, and so on. I shit you not, a person can be “depressed” simply by being chronically dehydrated. WHY would the body work properly if it cannot get what it needs to operate? And all of those past experiences people tend to bury because it’s not acceptable by society to be sad? Yeah, those can last a life-time and manifest in countless ways until peace is made between you and your scars.

I had a chat with an old friend the other weekend where he told me how sick, sad, and unhappy he used to be because he really hated his job. He switched jobs to one he likes and boom – he doesn’t get sick anymore, he sleeps through the night, and he has a reason to smile every day. How about them apples??

So, yeah. That’s my take. I’ve scapegoated two “credible” medical sources because a simple google search lists those two first and people like to believe everything that they hear from “experts”… especially since it’s been impaled into our brains for decades. I want to put it out there that there are other explanations, other perspectives, and, perhaps, better answers than the 21st century cycle of there’s-something-wrong-with-you-medication-heals-all.

jdperryhealth.com
jdperryhealth.tumblr.com
jdperryhealth@gmail.com

Understanding fat: Getting, gaining, storing, being, losing, burning

Posted on by
3

In order to understand how to lose fat, there must be a darn good understanding of how and why fat storage occurs…

The body stores fat for a few reasons. Believe it or not, all fat storage is beneficial. Aside from the body using fat for warmth, brain mass, cell wall stability, steroid (sex) hormone production, metabolic, rate, digestion regulation, intestinal lining, detoxification, sunlight absorption, and vitamin absorption, fat storage also serves as a natural “band-aid” in response to all types of physical or mental stress…

  • Hormonal imbalances
  • Toxin and chemical exposure/consumption
  • Sluggish detoxification organs
  • Blood sugar handling issues
  • Indigestible, intolerant, allergenic, or nutrient-void foods
  • Dehydration or Over-hydration
  • Excess exercise
  • Irregular sleeping patterns
  • Self unhappiness
  • Unrealistic expectations
  • Strict deadlines
  • Experienced shames 
  • Lack of self-responsibility

Without this “band-aid” action, the body would not be able to survive. So, when fat storage occurs do not get angry, upset or try to beat yourself up in the gym or through diet restrictions – take it as a sign that your body is keeping itself alive, become aware of what your body is telling you, take the necessary (not drastic) steps to understand what is happening and why, and, most importantly, appreciate the majesty of that occurrence.


jdperryhealth.com
jdperryhealth.tumblr.com
jdperryhealth@gmail.com

Question: Nothing I do is ever good enough

Posted on by
1

I often feel like I’m not good at anything – nothing I do is ever good enough for anyone’s standards, including my own. How can I stop this negative thinking?

Perspective:

Well, this seems to mainly be a matter of your own approval. While others can influence or sway your judgement, you are making the decisions are the end of the day – not anyone else. I wouldn’t necessarily classify it as “negative thinking,” rather “influenced thinking.” Try not to think negatively of your decisions because it’ll only manifest into more negativity. By taking a positive perspective on your thoughts, beliefs, actions, and reactions it can help you define what is “real” and what can be changed for the better. Always learn from the negatives by shifting them into positives.

Here are a few questions that may open some doors…

  • Define: “good enough”
  • Why do others have an influence on your decisions?
  • Define which people have an influence on your decisions (usually this is a family member or a peer whom you look up to) and why you allow them to hold such an influence.
  • What’s more important: Making yourself happy or making others happy?
  • Are you more upset with others for influencing or with yourself for allowing an influence (the true reality)?
  • Do you lack confidence in your own decisions? If so, why?
  • Do you disapprove of yourself? If so, why?
  • Trace back in your past to when and why this started happening. This will help define the cause – the “influenced thinking” is a symptom.

Self-approval can only be achieved through valuing and confiding in self – not through neglecting self, not through pleasing others, and not through appeasing others.

jdperryhealth.com
jdperryhealth.tumblr.com
jdperryhealth@gmail.com

Does your diet and lifestyle work for you?

Posted on by
3

Obviously there are plenty of diets out there claiming that they’re the one. There are endless research studies promoting that this food has vitamins, this food builds muscle, this food is an anti-oxidant, this food promotes inflammation, this food causes heart disease, this food is a superfood, or this food burns fat. We can go from one diet to the next or from one food to the next because of what is read in a biased health magazine or what’s advised from Doctor full-Oz-crap or what’s heard through treadmill gossip, but how do we really know what works? Going further, does the diet compliment the lifestyle and vice-versa? Is the lifestyle trying to make up for a lackluster diet? Is the real problem diet or is it a lifestyle that prevents a diet from working?

  1. Listen
  2. Write & Record
  3. Reflect
  4. Gain Perspective

Listening to our body is our best resource. The best method to listen is by writing down what we hear, see, feel, and observe. Writing down our thoughts make them more real...

Create a Lifestyle Journal
Ideally a 7-day journal but it can last up to a month if more perspective is needed

Food

  • Time of day
  • Hunger Level (1-5)
  • All ingredients and portions
  • How was it prepared – cooked, cold, room temp, microwave
  • Energy Levels (1-5) and Mood/Personality – 30 minutes before, during, and 30 minutes after

Liquids

  • Time of day
  • Thirst level (1-5)
  • All ingredients and portions
  • How was it prepared – heated, cold, room temp, microwave
  • Energy Levels (1-5) and Mood/Personality – 5 minutes before, during, and 30 minutes after

Exercise

  • Time of day
  • Type, duration, total of exercises, total of reps, amount of rest
  • Energy Levels (1-5) and Mood/Personality – 30 minutes before, during, 30 minutes after, and 2 hours after

Supplements or Medications

  • Time of day
  • Type
  • Purpose?
  • Energy Levels (1-5) and Mood/Personality – 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after

Sleep

  • Time of day – sleep and wake
  • Quality of sleep – slept through the night, toss and turn, fall asleep easily, wake up feeling rested/tired?
  • Dreams – good, bad, able to remember dreams
  • Energy Levels (1-5) and Mood/Personality – before and after

Bowel Movements

  • Time of day
  • How many times a day
  • Healthy or unhealthy?

Stress

  • Stress Level (1-5)
  • What is stressful, why, and how do you react?

Daily Activities

  • Time of day and duration
  • Type – Work, School, Driving, Cooking, Cleaning, Talking, Relaxing
  • Energy Levels (1-5) and Mood/Personality – General observation
  • How do you feel about the activity – Emotions when thinking about the activity, when involved in the activity, or when the activity is over

jdperryhealth.com
jdperryhealth.tumblr.com
jdperryhealth@gmail.com

The best advice ever given to me

Posted on by
2

You’ll figure it out, J.

I’ve heard this perspective plenty of times throughout the past 8 years of my life. While I was not always welcoming of this advice, I knew that these words were genuine and that they held a universal truth. You’ll figure it out was a reminder that no matter what I was going through at any given point in my life – trials, errors, hardships, pains, shames, blames, ups, downs, or confusions – that I will eventually figure it out.

The last time I heard these words from my friend was on August 2nd, 2011. I didn’t know that would truly be the last time I heard them from his mouth and with his genuine delivery because two months later my friend passed away in an accident. While I wish I still had him a phone call or a hang out away to ask for his advice through my ups and downs, I already know what he would tell me: You’ll figure it out, J.

No matter what happens – good or bad, right or wrong, healthy or sick, happy or sad, loved or unloved, accepted or un-accepted, understood or misunderstood, strong or weak, bulls-eye or complete miss – I’ll always figure it out. It may not happen in the most ideal time frame or in the most ideal experience or on the most ideal terms… but I’ll figure it out. I always have and I always will.

I have used this advice over the years to get me through the hardest of hard and the easiest of ease. Currently, this is where I’m at…

  • Love and accept myself and others
  • Forgive myself and others
  • Be happy with myself and others
  • Give myself and others the benefit – never the doubt
  • Have faith in myself and others
  • Have an open and honest heart with myself and others
  • Listen to my mind, heart, and body – they always know best
  • Have perspective when my Ego is calling the shots
  • Find a balance of Wants vs Needs
  • Do not judge, assume, or shame my battles or other’s battles
  • Do not place unrealistic expectations on myself or others
  • Do not provide myself with unnecessary boundaries or limitations
  • Surround myself with caring people who unconditionally support and understand me, and to not waste my efforts on those don’t
  • Take everything and everyone that I experience into perspective
  • Learn from everything – even if I don’t learn right away
  • Appreciate every single experience that I go through – good or bad
  • Be kind and easy on myself and others
  • I am always doing my best – that’s all I can ask of myself and others
  • Communication is the foundation of a good relationship with self and with others
  • Take responsibility for my actions and reactions
  • Never run away because it’ll only create more problems in the end
  • Fear is an illusion – I create all of my fears and fears create all of my dis-eases
  • Trust that what I give will be received in return
  • Try not to take myself so seriously
  • Have fun!
  • At the end of the day… I’ll figure it out

I share this story because I have faith that we all will figure it out. Some may figure it out quicker than others. Some may figure it out and have it fall through their hands only to figure it out again. Some may figure it out longer than others. Some may think they figured it out only to realize they have a lot more figuring out to do. Some may figure it out in different ways than others. Some may not think they need to figure it out only to experience quite the figure-it-out-wake-up-call. In the end, we all figure it out.

jdperryhealth.com
jdperryhealth.tumblr.com
jdperryhealth@gmail.com

Sunday wrap-up

Posted on by
Reply

Missed any posts this week?

jdperryhealth.com
jdperryhealth.tumblr.com
jdperryhealth@gmail.com

How to balance life’s priorities

Posted on by
2

Life can get crazy. It happens when we have to balance work, school, family, relationships, social events, exercise, diet, hydration, sleep, me time, and the list goes on. The best approach to prioritizing is to make your priorities… a priority.

  • Below you will find a wheel with 15 spokes and 5 circles
  • Each end of a spoke represents your priorities in life
  • Each wheel represents the attention that you provide each priority on a daily basis (some may be weekly or monthly)
  • Write a priority above each spoke
  • Rate the priority by the attention it receives with a dot at the intersection point of a specific spoke and affiliated circle
  • Inner Circle = Least attention, Outer Circle = Most attention
  • Draw a line to connect each dot – does it make a [somewhat] rounded circle?
  • A wheel cannot turn fluidly unless all of its spokes are well-taken care of, straight, and balanced
  • This will help put your current life into perspective
  • This will help you become aware of what needs more attention than others

The above diagram is a generalized example. Notice how all of the spokes are not balanced and the wheel cannot turn fluidly? Now you try…

jdperryhealth.com
jdperryhealth.tumblr.com
jdperryhealth@gmail.com

The Secret to Life: How to Lose Weight, Gain Muscle, and Get Healthy Now!

Posted on by
Reply

The Secret to Life! How to Lose Weight, Gain Muscle, and Get Healthy now!

Here it is! The answer everyone is looking for: How to Get Healthy and Stay Healthy in three easy steps!

Sound too good to be true? It’s not!

No hype.
No bull.
No marketing campaign.
No diet or detox miracle.
You don’t have to take any pills.
You don’t have to take any drugs.
You don’t have to starve yourself for weeks.
You don’t have to go from one diet craze to the next.
You don’t have to drink protein shake after protein shake.
You don’t have to weigh your food or weigh yourself every day.
You don’t have to run miles upon miles and do sit up after sit up.

Want to know how the heck you can get healthy starting right now?

L. F. B.

  • Love yourself.
  • Forgive yourself.
  • Be happy with yourself.

L. F. B.

Why do we become sick in the first place?
Why do we become sad?
Why do we eat too much?
Why do we not eat enough?
Why do we go from diet to diet?
Why do we go from exercise to exercise?
Why do we burn the wick at both ends?
Why do we believe that a fit body means a healthy body?
Why, now more than ever, is the United States becoming so unhealthy despite all of the diets, studies, and supplements available that apparently promote health?
Why, no matter what we do, can we not seem to get healthy?

  • Health comes when we take responsibility for our lives, our choices, and how we experience life.
  • Health comes when we are aware of why we may be unhealthy.
  • Health comes when we understand what it means to be healthy by questioning everything and listening to hour body.
  • Health comes when we have respect for ourselves, our body, and the food that we choose to become part of our body – our life.
  • Health comes when we balance our life’s wants and needs.
  • Health comes when we let down our ego and open up our heart.
  • Health comes when we provide a healthy external environment to reflect our internal environment.
  • Health comes when we do not place unrealistic expectations upon ourselves, others, or our experiences.
  • Health comes when we forgive our past so we can be present in the now and work towards hour future.
  • Health comes when we stop self-sabotaging.
  • Health comes when we are not ashamed of who we are on the outside because we accept ourselves on the inside.
  • Health comes when we accept who we are, and how we came to be.
  • Health comes when we do not compare ourselves to others.
  • Health comes when we understand that we are doing our very best in every moment and that no moment is ever wrong nor a mistake.
  • Health comes when you Love yourself.
  • Health comes when you Forgive yourself.
  • Health comes when you Be happy with yourself.

L. F. B.

jdperryhealth.com
jdperryhealth.tumblr.com
jdperryhealth@gmail.com

We Are All Doing Our Best

Posted on by
2

Our full potential is 100%, right?

We do our very best to give 100% of 100% of ourselves.

Sometimes we are only able to give 80%, 75%, or even 50% of 100% of ourselves.

Whether we give 80% or 50%, we are still giving our best effort of 80% or 50%.

We all have emotions, beliefs, obstacles, burdens, struggles, conflicts, past pains, judgements, and shames that have the ability to limit our potential.

Let’s say you and I are in the same class together. We have a test one morning that is graded immediately. After 10 minutes you hand in your test and get back a 100% of 100%. After 30 minutes I hand in my test and get back 30% of 100%. Naturally, we can conclude that you’re smarter than me based off of the grade and the time it took to complete… but is that really true based off of one (or even several repeated) experience(s)?

What if I didn’t eat a good breakfast that morning and that affected my blood sugar, mental clarity, and ability to retain information?

What if I wasn’t able to fully study because I had to take care of my little brother who has been sick for quite some time?

What if I was dealing with an internal emotional battle because my parents were going through a divorce?

What if I don’t care about school and constantly fail tests, but that is a manifestation of a sexual shame that I experienced when I was younger to believe I am not good enough in present day?

What if I knew all of the answers but chose to fail because it was more fulfilling to be perfectly “stupid” rather than being perfectly “smart”?

I may have failed the test, but I was giving my best – it may not have been my 100% best, but it was my best effort given my situation(s).

Do not judge, assume, or blame others for their faults (we do that enough to ourselves) – have faith, trust, and encourage others for their abilities.

Do not give people the benefit of the doubt – give people the benefit, the respect, and the empathy that they deserve.

Be kind. For everyone you meet if fighting a hard battle. - Plato