This week's Blog is inspired by Mental Health Awareness week (& Michael Jackson... "Shamon!")

I recently watched 'Michael' and found myself unexpectedly emotional afterwards.

What I just can't stop thinking about isn’t the insane amount of fame a child under 10 had to deal with, how amazing the music is or even the spectacle of it all. It was the humanity.

The film showed Michael Jackson not simply as an icon, but as a deeply complex human being. Strong yet vulnerable, confident yet insecure, compassionate, brave, sensitive, lonely, gifted and misunderstood all at once 😣

It reminded me how quick we can be to judge people whose stories we don’t truly know.

We often assume we understand someone’s life from the outside. We see success, money, beauty, popularity, confidence, achievements and we create a narrative around them. We decide they’ve had it easier. That they’re “lucky.” That they have fewer struggles than we do.

But life doesn’t work like that.

We all begin from different starting points. We all carry different experiences, wounds, beliefs and emotional patterns. Some experiences strengthen us. Others knock us down for a while. Two people can walk through the exact same situation and respond completely differently because of what shaped them long before that moment.

Life should never be a competition over who has it harder, who works harder or who deserves more.

We are all simply human beings trying to navigate life with the tools, beliefs and experiences we currently have.

Looking at Michael Jackson’s life, it would be easy to focus on the fame and assume he lived a charmed existence. He was discovered young, adored by millions, financially successful beyond imagination.

But at what cost?

A lost childhood. Extraordinary pressure. Intense scrutiny. Isolation. Loneliness so profound that, at times, he appeared to trust animals more than people.

And whether someone is globally famous or quietly living an ordinary life, emotional pain is still emotional pain. Loneliness is loneliness. Fear is fear.

That’s why comparison is so futile.

We never really know what another person is carrying.

Especially now, in a world of social media where people understandably post the brightest and shiniest parts of their lives, it can become very easy to believe everyone else is happier, more fulfilled, more successful, more loved or coping better than we are.

But social media is literally a highlight reel, not a full story.

Last week, I wrote about optimism and I think this links beautifully to that.

Optimism isn’t pretending life is perfect or forcing ourselves to be positive every second of the day. It’s believing things can improve. It’s choosing to move forward. It’s taking ownership of the things we can influence.

Part of this comes down to how our brains work.

The brain’s Reticular Activating System (RAS) acts like a filter, constantly deciding what information deserves our attention. We are exposed to millions of pieces of information every day, but the brain prioritises what aligns with our dominant thoughts, beliefs and focus.

So if we constantly focus on lack, comparison, failure or what’s missing, our minds become incredibly efficient at spotting more of it.

But when we begin intentionally noticing moments of gratitude, connection, beauty, kindness, progress or joy, even in very mundane & ordinary days, those things start to stand out more too.

Our beliefs are not always facts.

Yet what we repeatedly believe shapes the way we experience reality.

That’s why we have to be careful where we place our attention.

I think one of the healthiest things we can do is pause and recognise what we genuinely appreciate in our own lives. Not what looks impressive online. Not what society tells us should matter most.

The real things:

A loyal friend.

A walk in nature.

A conversation that makes us feel understood.

A devoted pet greeting us at the door.

A quiet cup of tea before the house wakes up.

The seemingly small things often become the biggest things.

And when we begin noticing the good in even the most mundane of days, something starts to shift.

The good becomes easier to see.

Try it for a week and notice whether your thoughts begin to shift and change too.

Let me know how you find it...

Jo x