Let's Talk and Talk and Never be Quiet

Today is Bell Let's Talk day. It's been awesome to see people using #BellLetsTalk all day on Twitter, but more importantly people have been sharing their own stories and experience with mental illness. I love that Bell donates money to mental health initiatives each time the hashtag is used or when people text today, but in my opinion the conversation that it sparks provides an even greater value.

I was speaking with someone recently about The Life is Sweet Project and the upcoming blog series. She expressed that she still felt that she was not able to share her story because of the negative stigma that was associated with it. That in her job, she could not be viewed as "unstable" and that her own struggles with mental illness had cost her work in the past. With 1 in 5 Canadians being impacted by some sort of mental health concern in their lifetime, it blows me away that there is still such a negative stigma. While it's great that days like today get the conversation started, it's especially important that it continues every day.

I'm excited to help keep the conversation going this weekend when Life is Sweet month begins on my blog for the second year. I've received some incredible submissions and really look forward to the dialogue that follows. The show is less than two weeks away and I'm proud to be honoring my mom's memory by sharing our story and getting people talking. 

It doesn't end here. Let's keep talking and never be quiet.