The New York best seller, I’ve Been Thinkin’ by Maria Shriver is a thought provoking collection of short chapters detailing the lessons she has learned during her life filled with challenges, loss and unusual heartache. A father who she adored dying of Alzheimers, Arnold, and of course the tragedy of being a member of the Kennedy clan.Much of this Blog deals with conditions of the mind. Wisdom. Thoughts that seem to always come to me early in the quiet of the morning… usually reading the Bible or meditating.

One of Shriver’s chapters opened me up, inspired me this morning. The mind is inarguably the most incredible, God given instrument known to man. Yet in all it’s magnificence it is still imperfect. It wanders, makes bad decisions… creates sinful thoughts and feelings. Like any “muscle” within us it needs exercise, strengthening, fine tuning always. It’s probably safe to say our minds are “off” at times. Without exception thoughts and feelings like anger, depression, self importance… others can consume us. The case can be made that we all will experience mental issues from time to time. Yes, there are times when we are mentally ill. All of us.Shriver cites the example of Prince Harry. Soon to be married after many years of bachelorhood, he was twelve when his mother Princess Diana died. He suppressed his feelings for a decade (maybe particularly a British thing). Harry was close to mental collapse when Prince William, despite a public eye always lurking, encouraged him to seek help which he did.

Try to get a job or advance in a career today if one has a mental issue. Not impossible… but usually a deterrent.Personally I hid a mental issue for decades. In no way debilitating, it was nevertheless something I had to keep  confidential revealing this only to family members. I excelled in my career with few limitations. But disclose my illness to a company that trusted me to lead three of it’s businesses. No way.  I took medication stabilizing a bipolar condition. Go public? No way. Might have been a career “show stopper.” Now out of the corporate world I am comfortable sharing my condition openly.  Not surprising this most times becomes a “#MeToo” like conversationI heard a speech recently where a well known business leader stood in front of a large audience and calmly revealed he had lived with alcoholism for the entirety of his successful business career. Stunned the audience then heard this.“Think of someone who has overcome a mental disease like alcoholism. Rejected in most circles as taboo… think about the strength it takes for this person to get well. The character that it takes to move forward. Now please think of, consider him/her as a special candidate to be hired vs one to be dismissed.”More and more we’re learning that so many of us like me are willing to face this reality and be open, vulnerable with others despite the stigma.

We all… yes even you have mental issues. Being open, more compassionate toward those like Harry and Maria, me is one of changes in perspectives that I think improve the health of our increasingly complex world.