James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of depression and suicidal thoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Those quotes telling you to keep pushing yourself can lead to burnout
The practice of not stopping even when you are tired, quite frankly, is dangerous and can lead to burnout.
Symptoms of burnout include no longer feeling like you make a difference, you have sleep deprivation, you can’t stand the thought of going to your job or caretaking when you wake up in the morning (even to the point of nausea or vomiting), you can’t find enjoyment in things you use to enjoy, and you may have even considered suicide. People in the helping professions (including mental healthprofessionals, physicians, teachers, attorneys, and clergy) are more at risk from burnout than other professions (Lee, Brown, & Cabrera, 2017; Cherniss, 2016).
Burnout is so prevalent that there are even assessment instruments that measure a person’s level of burnout, such as the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach, 2015).
The more we buy into these quotes about pushing ourselves, the more pressure we may feel to keep working even when we have reached exhaustion. You tell yourself, I have to stay late at the office so I can get this project done – it’s almost perfect.
However, the trap many of us fall into careers, family, and friendships is that rarely in life is anything perfect. And what a boring world it would be if everything was perfect!
I’ll tell you something that may just change your life…
You have the right to do less than what’s humanly possible.
Let me repeat that, with something extra –
You have the right to do less than what’s humanly possible, at any time.
Yes, at any time it is acceptable for you to not give your 100%. It’s a pretty radical idea for many of us – especially when you may have grown up with the idea that you have to do your very best, at all times. Sometimes what you’re doing is good enough, and that is just fine. It can take a while to get used to walking away from a job that is good enough, but you’ll soon realize your complete mental energy really wasn’t needed on that task.
You have a mental energy account, and tasks where you keep pushing yourself past the point of tiredness or exhaustion is at an expense to you, emotionally and physically. Stopping and resting when you feel tired is a way to add income back to your mental energy account.
Learn more about seeing your mental energy in terms of expenses and income from this interview I had with Irene Kerzhnerman PhD.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
[email protected]
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at [email protected] and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
