We are who and what we think. Personal perceptions are present realities.
Sincerity is no determinate. Some of the very best people society has produced and some of the very worst have been some of the most sincere.
While it's possible to be sincerely correct, it's also possible to be sincerely wrong.
Telling the difference is a matter of survival. More importantly, it's a matter of sanity.
Our thoughts are generated by our brain - moderated, tempered and formed by our mental health. And yet the vast majority of people rarely give their first thought a second thought.
Because our thought processes are inextricably linked to our state of mind, healthy choices are bound to mental health.
Rarely are we encouraged to work on strengthening our mental health.
The media bombards us with information on how to achieve the perfect body.
We are urged to watch for physical change and seek a medical opinion on any suspect lump, pain or rash.
We are told that early intervention is vital to successful cure and recovery.
And yet rarely do we see or hear the mental health equivalent.
We'll make an appointment to see the doctor about an ache in our back, but we'll try and cope alone with a sadness we aren't able to shake.
But, it doesn't have to be that way.
- Gary Bentley is a Rural Aid counsellor.
