Redefining Success
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If you asked ten people for a definition of success you would probably hear ten different definitions. People have different levels of lived experience, education, employment, economic level, etc… One person’s definition or story of success might be different than another. Redefining Success came out of my need to realign my expectations for what was happening to me on the pathway of life. You may be able to relate if you have had a dream dashed by something out of your control. You may be able to relate if you just think you didn’t live up to your potential, either defined by you or others.
Part I of this book is about how my dream of success was dashed by mental illness and how I had to go about redefining success. It is a daily process for me and a struggle I deal with. There is mourning for what might have been and more realistic appreciation for what is.
Mental illness is not the end of life. It strikes people unexpectedly when they are in the prime of life. Some are in their college years when they have their first breakdown – for some it has been a constant struggle since they can remember striking in early childhood – for some it comes in the middle of a promising career.
Part of this book comes in the beginning of a new career for me as a Peer Support Specialist at North Texas State Hospital in Vernon, Texas. It is the only Forensic Maximum Security State Hospital in the State of Texas. I work with the consumers who have been determined to be the most manifestly dangerous in the State Hospital system. Most of them have criminal charges pending until they can be found competent – and some have been found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Many of them have dreams too and stories of redefining success after a past and maybe present they want to put behind them. Because they are in a Maximum Security setting does not mean they don’t have dreams. In fact, some have achieved great success in life only to have mental illness hit them hard. A motivation for writing this book came from a consumer who as a part of Drama Therapy wrote a short story about her life that was actually presented to the Program she was on. It was titled “Creative but a little bit Crazy.”
Part II of this book is based on devotionals I have written on success with a Christian backdrop. Even though I am not an ordained minister, I have always been interested in writing devotionals on Christian topics and tying them into relevant issues in society. Issues mentally healthy and mentally ill people find themselves facing. Issues like how to succeed with the past, anxiety, loneliness, depression, contentment, tolerance, anger, prejudice, and doubt. They are all issues we face from day to day and how we react to them can present success or failure in our lives. Hopefully, the reader will pick up on the tools recommended for anyone facing these issues and add to their coping mechanisms when they face issues that determine the outcome of their lives.
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About the Book
Have you ever had a dream dashed by a challenge or mental illness? Have you ever felt like giving in or gripped by fear that all is lost? Have you defined success in your life or have you let others define it? Have you failed to meet someone’s expectations? Success can be defined in many different ways. Or success can be redefined based on current circumstances. Part I of this book is about my struggle with mental health issues that challenged a dream and required me to redefine success for my life. This book takes you through my journey and also provides tips for succeeding in aspects of everyday life. In my work as a Peer Support Specialist I have encountered consumers who have been committed to the largest forensic state hospital in Texas. Many of them have been convicted of crimes. The mental illness these consumers experience and the crimes they have committed are only part of who they are and do not define them as a person. They have dreams like anyone else. Their dreams may be on a different scale. For them, success may come in small steps toward wholeness and reconciliation with self and society. My job is to instill hope in their lives as someone who has been through the mental health system and who has emerged from the other side experiencing recovery. Part II of this book is a collection of inspirational devotions on the topic of success in different practical areas. Some examples include success with anxiety, success with depression, and success with loneliness. They are each based on the Christian Scriptures and are filled with an abundance of relevant illustrations. Anyone who has wondered about how their faith is related to real life will be able to identify with these inspirational pieces.
About the Author
Landon Winstead was born and grew up in Wichita Falls, TX. He graduated Cum Laude from Texas Christian University obtaining a BA degree in Religion-Studies. He then graduated with distinction from Texas A&M University in Commerce obtaining a MS in Community Counseling. He has worked in the public and private sector in church ministry and counseling agencies. He has had sermons published in various Journals. He is married to Ann Gerard and they have an adopted daughter from China. He is Peer Support Specialist for North Texas State Hospital in Vernon.