“Mind is a Mountain” by The Get Ahead

Dear Diary,

I love it when you catch those moments when the Universe is showing up for you. I

know that sounds like some real hippie shit, but hang with me…

“In today’s meeting there was a journaling topic: Pick 1 word (self-compassion) and

write about it for 10 minutes. 5 minutes to past self and 5 minutes to future self.

Past: To me, this was never something I could understand. Growing up, although my

parents loved me, I don’t feel like they encouraged me. I was often told, “If you had just

done this, then you would’ve done better.” I remember coming home with all A’s and

one B and being told that if I hadn’t spent so much time with my friends, I could have

had all A’s. It’s like it was ingrained in me to be my own harshest critic.

Future: Through therapy, I’ve realized how much this has shaped the way I see the

world. I find myself being a hater—not just toward myself but toward others too. Lately,

I’ve been working on that. On how I speak to myself. When I mess something up,

instead of calling myself stupid, I say, “It’s okay. I can fix this.” I’ve also been writing a

self-affirmation on my bathroom mirror before bed, so it’s the first thing I see in the

morning.”

I wrote those words on December 7th, 2023, with the song “Mind is a Mountain” by The

Get Ahead at the bottom of the page. As the song says, “Your mind is the mountain.

Cliiiiiimb out…cliiiiiimb out.”

I was three days into my sobriety journey when I wrote that. Little did I know how much

affirmations would impact my life. See, if you’d asked me a year and a half ago if I was

happy, if I was a good son, brother, friend, or person, or if I was worthy of love, I can

almost guarantee my answer would’ve been no.

But over the last year and a half, I’ve been reminding myself that I am those things.

Through daily affirmations. And although some days it's harder to believe, I do believe it

now. I’m a good son, a good brother, a good friend, and a good person. I am worthy of

love. And I am genuinely happy.

That’s the thing about affirmations—when you first start, you don’t believe them. But if

you keep saying them, keep working at it, and ask for a little help proving it... the

Universe eventually shows up. She whispers in your ear. And if you're paying attention,

you'll hear her say, “I got you.”For the past few months, I’ve struggled with believing the words: “I am a writer.” I

journal. I write creative ideas. But the truth is, that affirmation is usually followed by the

question: “Who the f*ck am I to think anyone would want to hear what I have to say?”

That’s the thing about negative self-talk. It’s rooted in that inner critic. And honestly, that

critic is just trying to protect me.

Which brings me back to the Universe showing up. That’s what happened the other day

when I was given the blog topic: “Why showing up for someone else might be the thing

that saves you too.”

What’s funny is I texted my friend Ryan and told him not to let me forget to write this:

“Soundtrack to Life Lessons and Memories: A Memoir Playlist.” He thought I was giving

him a blog idea. But really, I was asking him to hold me accountable. What was really

happening was the Universe was showing up for me, by giving me the chance to show

up for him.

That moment gave me the opportunity provide my inner critic the evidence it needed.

Proof that even if you don’t always believe those affirmations at first, if you keep saying

them and keep working at it, and ask for a little help proving it, eventually you will.

My name is Tyler, and I am a writer.