Avice for a human. 87. Dark matter is needed to hold galaxies together. Your mind is a Galaxy. More dark than light. But the light makes it worthwhile. 88. Which is to say: don't kill yourself. Even when the darkness is total. Always know that life is not still. Time is space. You are moving through that galaxy. Wait for the stars.
Interpretation
Life is a journey filled with darkness and light, and even in the darkest times, there is hope.
In this quote, Matt Haig uses the metaphor of a galaxy to illustrate the complexities of the human mind, emphasizing that while one's mental state may often feel dominated by darkness, there is always a glimmer of light that makes the journey worthwhile. He encourages individuals to persevere through their struggles and to understand that life is constantly in motion, suggesting that hope and brighter moments can be found even in despair.
In practice
Sharing this quote during a mental health awareness event to inspire those struggling.
Being a depressive should not imply danger any more than being a man or even a human should. Mental illness isn't a them/us issue; we are all on the scale somewhere. So we must be very careful to resist ignorance and combat the stigma that leads to dangerous silence.
It can be difficult for people to talk about it, because there still is that stigma around mental illness. But I would encourage people to do that, because they'll be surprised once they do 'come out' how many other people have had similar experiences.
Understand that thoughts are thoughts. If they are unreasonable, reason with them, even if you have no reason left. You are the observer of your mind, not its victim.
We need, ultimately, to be able to view mental health with the same clear-headedness we show when talking about physical health.
You are no less or more of a man or a woman or a human for having depression than you would be for having cancer or cardiovascular disease or a car accident.
You don't have to be a creative maverick to have a troubled mind. You just have to be human. There is no 'us' and 'them.' No one is one hundred per cent healthy, physically or mentally.
So we'll live, And pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh at gilded butterflies.
How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour and with that one, is what we are doing.
How hard a thing is life to the lowly, and yet how human and real!
I found myself grinning until my cheeks hurt, my scalp prickling till I thought it might lift off my head. My tongue ran away from me, giddy with freedom. This, and this, and this, I said to him. I did not have to fear that I spoke too much. I did not have to worry that I was too slender, or too slow. This and this and this! I taught him how to skip stones, and he taught me how to carve wood. I could feel every nerve in my body, every brush of air against my skin.
It is not the years in your life but the life in your years that counts.
At this moment, many people have stopped living. They do not become angry, nor cry out; they merely wait for time to pass. They did not accept the challenges of life, so life no longer challenges them
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