Born This Way: Stigmas' and Discrimination
The poems that I write come from a really personal place, just like Lady Gaga has said "You have to go to that broken place of your heart to write songs." I feel that you also need to go to that broken place in your heart to write poems that are meaningful that others will be able to connect to. There is a massive stigma in this world around mental health and I have a personal mission to close the gap on that stigma. The truth is, poor mental health is caused by childhood trauma, which is a situation you were born in to and did not choose.
Stigma often comes from a lack of understanding or fear. The media often creates that fear by having inaccurate or misleading media representations of mental illness, transgender, LGBT, and other harmful misrepresentations. Let's take the movie "Silence of the Lambs" for example, Buffalo Bill, a transsexual and psycho serial killer, murders overweight women and skins them so he can make a "woman suit" for himself and to gain power to become a woman. Think about a time where you first felt like you were portrayed in the media. Was that a positive projection? For many transgender folks, Silence of the Lambs come to mind. For myself, a lesbian in my mid-30s, the first I can think of where lesbians were portrayed in the media was the series L-Word, but it was extremely stereotypical and hard to relate to. For those with mental health issues, I can't even think of one movie or show that did not stigmatize this.
We are all HUMAN
At the end of the day, we are all human, and we deserve the same love and compassion regardless of whether we experienced childhood trauma, if we suffer from the effects of childhood trauma (mental illness), our race or ethnicity, our sexual orientation, or our gender identity. We are unique, have experienced different experiences throughout our lives and our differences is what makes us unique.
Ask yourself the next time you have a judging thought "Why do I have this thought?", "Where did this belief originate from?", "Am I being kind by thinking this?". If you were that person you were passing judgement on, wouldn't you want empathy and compassion? Then why would another human being not deserve that?
When we bring out the best in each other, support each other, are kind, and just a good human, that is when we are able to start figuring out what will lead us to happiness and feeling fulfilled. When we judge others, that 100% effects our own happiness, because our subconscious is internalizing blame and guilt.
Imagine a World Where....
Imagine a world that is absent from judgement. What would that look like? A place where you wouldn't hear your coworker say "Oh my god, did you hear what this person said" or "Did you see what that person was wearing!?". Not only do these comments make for a toxic work environment, and usually those that are complaining about the work environment are the biggest contributors, but it creates a world that makes it difficult to be honest. Imagine a world where children aren't depressed and taking their lives by suicide because they feel they have no other way to overcome. Imagine a world where unconditional love exists. Imagine a world where we don't go to war, but we listen to each other's needs and come to a peaceful agreement. Imagine a world where self-care and self-love are priorities instead of luxuries.