May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and honestly, I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting lately.

One thing I’ve realized about myself is that I tend to internalize other people’s reactions and immediately assume I did something wrong. If my wife looks frustrated, my brain is quick to go, “Damn, what did I do?” I also have this habit of feeling responsible for fixing whatever issue comes up around me, which has made me hypervigilant when it comes to conflict. That shit is exhausting. Constantly scanning for problems, trying to prevent disappointment, trying to keep everybody okay all the time. Easy way to burn yourself out.

A couple weeks ago I admitted something to myself out loud that I’ve been carrying for a while. I said, “I feel like a failure as a man and as a husband.”

That was hard as hell to say out loud. But weirdly enough, it was freeing too.

I’ve struggled with feelings of failure and not being enough for as long as I can remember. The “failure as a husband” part feels newer, but the root of it? That’s been there. Once I acknowledged the feeling, I had to sit with it and ask myself where the hell it was coming from.

What experiences taught me to think this way about myself?
What definition of success am I even measuring myself against?
Who gave me that definition?
Do I even agree with it?
And if I don’t… then what changes?

Intellectually, I know I’m not a failure. My wife tells me I’m a good husband. But insecurity isn’t always logical. Sometimes there’s still that quiet little voice in the background whispering, “Yeah… but what if it’s true?”

And if I’m being real, that whisper has been around longer than I’ve admitted to anybody. Including myself.

A lot of us are carrying thoughts like:

And whose expectations are those anyway?

A lot of people are waking up, going to work, paying bills, eating, sleeping, and repeating the cycle every damn day. Survival mode becomes routine. It starts to feel like there’s no room for anything outside of responsibility.

And somehow we convince ourselves it has to be one or the other:

Take care of responsibilities or take care of yourself.
As if both can’t exist at the same time.

Money matters. Let’s not pretend it doesn’t. Bills are real. Rent is real. Groceries high as hell. Life expensive. But if your entire identity becomes tied to productivity, income, and what you can provide for other people, eventually your mental health starts collecting the bill.

That’s why awareness matters.

Mental health awareness is not just “check on your strong friend” posts and corporate wellness emails. It’s slowing down long enough to ask yourself hard questions. It’s recognizing unhealthy patterns. It’s challenging beliefs you’ve carried your whole life. It’s realizing that being needed is not the same thing as being loved.

And sometimes, awareness looks like finally admitting:
“I’m tired.”

Take a minute and sit with these:

Mental health awareness starts with honesty.

Not performative honesty. Not “I’m healing” social media captions. Real honesty. The kind that makes you uncomfortable at first. The kind that forces you to look at yourself with compassion instead of judgment.

This month, I want you to pay attention to the stories you tell yourself about who you are. Especially the negative ones you repeat so often they started sounding like facts.

You are allowed to challenge those thoughts.
You are allowed to redefine success.
And you are allowed to be a work in progress without calling yourself a failure.

If this resonated with you, reply to this email or send your thoughts to [email protected]. I’d genuinely love to hear what this brought up for you.

And if you know somebody carrying the weight of “not enough,” forward this newsletter to them. Sometimes people need the reminder that they are more than what they produce.

1. I am worthy even when I am not being productive.
My value is not tied to how much I accomplish.

2. I can acknowledge difficult feelings without becoming them.
What I feel is real, but it is not the entirety of who I am.

3. I give myself permission to rest without guilt.
Rest is care, not laziness.

4. I do not have to carry every problem on my shoulders.
Supporting others should not come at the expense of myself.

5. I am learning to speak to myself with compassion instead of criticism.
Healing starts with how I treat myself internally.Mind & Mingle: A Mental Health Meetup

Also, I’m excited to announce that the second Mind & Mingle: A Mental Health Meetup is happening this month on May 23, 2026 from 12 PM - 2 PM in Houston, TX.

This event is for both mental health professionals and people interested in finding their next therapist. The goal is simple: create a relaxed, real space where the community can connect with therapists without the pressure or awkwardness that sometimes comes with starting therapy.

Finding a therapist can feel overwhelming, especially if you’ve been putting it off, had a bad experience before, or just don’t know where to start. Mind & Mingle is meant to help make that process feel more human.

And for the therapists in the room, this is also a chance to connect, build community, and meet the people you’re hoping to serve.

If that sounds like something you’d benefit from, come through. And if you know somebody looking for a therapist or wanting to reconnect with their mental health, send this to them too.

🎟️ Grab tickets here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mind-mingle-a-mental-health-meetup-tickets-1987438531147?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

You’ve reached the end. Thanks for reading. If you have’t already go ahead and subscribe and lets grow this thing together. Also, do me a favor a forward this to 2-3 people who you think would enjoy reading my monthly writings. I greatly appreciate you and have a great rest of your day!