You didn’t really think I was gonna be vulnerable about my struggles with The Sludge of the Soul without letting you follow me on my journey out of this darkness, did you? I admitted openly and publicly that I am depressed. I am dealing, once again, with some real darkness lately and I told you about it. It was insanely hard to talk about it. To admit my weakness. But. Here’s the thing. Telling you all my struggles was also insanely helpful.  It was taking a step in the right direction. Sure, telling others your struggle is a really good way of unexpectedly finding out you aren’t alone, but it’s more this……. Saying something out loud has power. Naming something gives it definition… and limits. I’m not sure why but I’ve found it to be true.  Shame is in secrets. Fear grows in the dark places. When something is no longer a secret, it doesn’t have the same weird twisted power over you. Depression has a way of growing in your mind.  The darkness morphs those unknown shapes and shadows into something sinister and warped.  As Hermoine Granger reminded us frequently, “fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself.” The weird messages of unworthiness and hopelessness that are oh so loud in your head frankly sound kinda lame when you say them out loud.  You might get positive feedback from others.  You might not.  But you still took the power over it.  You said it out loud. Now the magic can happen.