Real Life Real Faith Men of Faith September Issue | Page 10

Hurley’s Mental Note…
Are You a Swamp or a River?
I have a question to pose to you… Are you a swamp or a river? I want you to really
ponder this question for a minute. Let me help you put this question in perspective.
First we must break down the two bodies of water that are referenced in the question
and get an understanding of what the difference is between the two. A swamp is
created when water collects in low lying areas remaining trapped there with no outlet.
Being that there is no outlet available there is no constant flow of minerals and oxygen
in that water, which ultimately leads to that collection of water becoming stagnant and
absent of life. When you think of a swamp you think of gloominess, darkness, and
unpleasantness. You think of sadness and death. A river on the other hand is full of life.
It constantly flows. When you think of a river you think the exact opposite of a swamp.
Words such as refreshing, invigorating, and energy can be words that describe a river.
You think of happiness and life.
Hopefully by now I have you thinking of swamps and rivers, the images of the two
bodies of water, and the vast differences between the two. In all actuality a swamp is
like the antonym of a river. Take that and apply it to the mind and our lives. A swamp
can represent an unhealthy mind while a river can represent a vibrant, healthy mind.
Now ask yourself….what is an unhealthy mind? A mind that is unhealthy is one that
may be suffering from a mental illness of some sort. Let’s take it a step further…what is
a mental illness? The Mayo Clinic defines mental illness as “a wide range of mental
health conditions – disorders that may affect your mood, thinking and behavior”. Some
examples of mental illnesses are depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders,
schizophrenia, and addictive behaviors. We all know someone, if not ourselves, that
have suffered or is currently suffering from one or more of these examples. Let’s focus
more on the definition of mental illness; particularly the part that says the illness “may
affect your mood, thinking and behavior”. This part of the definition is very important.
By affecting your mood, thinking, and behavior in such a way that a mental illness
more than likely will, your daily living/functioning is impacted which leads you to
changing how you go about your day-to-day life. Your actions may become anti-social