Along with many people today, I was saddened to hear about the self-inflicted death of singer Mindy McCready. I am not a big County music fan and I have not lived a life like she did, but I can certainly relate to some of what she must have been going through.

There was a time (not too terribly long ago) when my life was spiraling out of control much like hers did. I was drinking too much, but mostly I was feeling sorry for myself too much. I was stuck in an endless loop of creating chaos and then reacting to chaos. I am not ashamed to admit that there was more than one night in which if things had gone a slightly different way, I would not be here writing this post.

Although I never attempted to take my life, I did put my life in critical danger (more than once). I imagine all of us have been or could easily be in Mindy’s very own shoes. We ALL have the potential to reach a point where life just seems “too hard”. It is not as impossible as you may think for things to get that bad.

If you feel the urge to judge Ms. McCready or to think, “Gosh, she was pretty, famous and had two young kids – what could she have been so sad about?”, just remember that one day you could be in her very shoes, facing some of the very same challenges. None of us is completely immune from that. We are all living in glass houses and none of us should be throwing stones.

At the same time, none of us are doomed to the same fate as she was. There is always a chance to turn things around and reverse the spiral you may be in. There is HOPE!!!

The first step is acknowledging how bad things have become and to seek help if necessary. Recovery can be a long road and it can be full of setbacks, but it IS possible to get better and to be better. I know, because I have pulled myself off of the floor of life and my life is a thousand times better than it was before.

Do not feel like you are all alone in your suffering. You’re not! All of us suffer at one time or another. Suffering is a part of life, but it doesn’t always have to signal an end to life. Reach out to someone and tell them how you feel. Ask for help if you need it and more importantly, accept it, if it is offered.

Find the beauty in life, because I PROMISE you, it is THERE!!!!!