by Lisa Browning
“It is not our job to remain whole.
We came to lose our leaves
Like the trees, and be born again,
Drawing up from the great roots.”
~ Robert Bly
In 2013, I published my first anthology of what I like to call empowerment stories, entitled Sharing: our stories, our selves, our success. In that volume, 24 women shared their stories of overcoming adversity, of challenges, and of hope. And after the book was published, each and every one of those 24 women thanked me for providing them a forum from which to share their stories.
A year later, I published a similar anthology, but this time containing stories written by 17 men. And this time, after the book was published, each and every one of those men also thanked me, but not for allowing them to share their stories. They thanked me for allowing them to be vulnerable. Richard Arsic, then Community Director of the Mankind Project, wrote the following in the foreword of that volume: “What a journey this precious life is. The men who bare their souls in the pages that follow are a testament to the benefits of inner reflection. They have stood up to the pain of their wounds and overcome the need to blame others. Instead, judgements have been replaced with compassion. Answers to their questions came from within, not from without.”
Fast forward ten years, to October 2024. In partnership with Sebastian Wasilik, owner of the Exodus Watch Company and a advocate for mental health awareness, I published Moments in Time: Navigating the Mental Health Journey of Men. Has progress been made over the last decade? From the conversations I’ve had with men that I know, I think it has. But there is still work to do. Clay Williams, mental health advocate and member of the Board of Directors of the Mood Disorders
Society of Canada, wrote this: “I am very honoured to have been asked to write the foreword for this pioneering book. I call it pioneering because all of these stories are written by men. You know, the gender who typically feels that they can fix themselves, who don’t seek medical attention until their condition is disastrous, and who often don’t seek mental health care until, in some cases, it’s too late.”
Since the book came out, I have spoken with several of the men who shared their stories, and I am grateful for the open, honest, and yes, vulnerable conversations that we had. I am hopeful that, together, we all can continue to break down the walls that keep us from sharing our stories and speaking our truth, for it is only then that we can achieve true inner peace, joy, and gratitude.
Do you have a story to tell?
Lisa Browning is a local author as well as the founder and publisher of One Thousand Trees. You can purchase “Moments in Time: Navigating the Mental Health Journey of Men” here on her website.