Living Above Ground: Why You Shouldn’t Commit Suicide with Special Guest, Cecelia Jefferson, MDiv

You do not have to end your life. The world needs you. Make the choice to become an inspirational story instead of a negative statistic or tragedy. As long as you have a pulse, you have a purpose. Touch your chest. Do you feel a beat? That’s the evidence that you are supposed to be here. Whether you know it or not, our divine Creator wants you to alive; you can become an example of strength and triumph to show and tell the world. While problems are an integral part of life, there are always solutions. However, they are rarely easy to find alone. Therefore, in moments of despair and depression, it’s critical to reach out to others. If you feel estranged from family or friends, call one of the hotlines listed below. Just know that whatever pain you feel right now can be healed. Taking your life is no guarantee that your pain will end. (There are stories of people being pronounced dead and were revived. Some of them shared being a place of unbearable pain.) Throughout history people have endured hard times, but they have overcome them by having the right thoughts and attitude as well as engaging in the activities that constructively transformed their outlook and circumstances. Here are some things that can work for you, too: 1. Open your heart to receive help. Believe that you can do what others have—triumph over trouble. Better days are ahead, but you must embrace this. As long as you have hope, you can experience sunshine after life’s storms. 2.  Connect with good people.   Join a group of people who understand what you are going through and are willing to help you heal. 3. Seek out medical, spiritual, or mental help to you get to the root of the problem. Problems cannot be solved until you understand where they come from and why they exist. 4. Shift your focus from what you perceive is bad and spend your time and energy looking at the good. There are so many things in your life to celebrate, but you must recognize them. 5. Don’t be afraid to let go of toxic relationships when you experience maltreatment, abuse, and disrespect. You increase your depression, disease, and despondency when choose to be around people who don’t your worth and value. You are priceless and deserve to be loved and honored.    If people don’t know this, stop trying to convince them. Continue to love them but let them go. 6. Engage in activities that build you instead of those that can destroy you. Using drugs and alcohol and/or misusing your body is only exacerbate the problems. When you do bad things, you are going to feel bad. It becomes a vicious cycle until you feel you can’t go on. You can stop this. 7. Give yourself time. Change is a process; it’s not an event. Take a small step toward getting better and keep going. Resist resorting to old bad habits until the new (good way) becomes normal. There is a reward for resisting negative thoughts and behavior.  You are a victor. Share your story of redemption with others. It will save lives.National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800.273.8255 https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) 800.662. HELP (4357) https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline