These last couple of days have been great for me, and for a couple of reasons. I started to work out and be more active, picked up the camera and started taking more photos of our everyday life, and also picked up the content pace here on the blog and social media. I found myself in a slump for a while and I was having a hard time trying to figure out why. Was it that I  was burned out and was having a hard time being creative? Was I content and settled down? Or was it the idea that I had to be perfect in everything I did, instilled in me since I was little, holding me back?  It was probably a mix of all of those things, and me being harsher on myself than I should have, to be honest.

Talking about it out loud has helped me realize that I was in a slump, to begin with. It also helped me realize that no matter what people advised me, I was never going to get out of it unless I decided to and I took action.






It's ok to take time for yourself and analyze your state of mind. There are so many things that happen around us daily. Whether you are a parent or not, stress, worries, and self-doubt affect us all at some point. In this process, I really wanted to be able to show my girls that they can work through this and overcome mental challenges in a healthy way.

I wanted to share this because some of you may be going through a period of self-doubt as well and it helps when we talk about it out loud and try to figure out why. As I am being more active in all areas of my life, I realize that it is important to get ourselves back up and moving forward. 




4 Things I did to help me move forward in this period: 

1. Talk about it. Whether it's with a couple of friends over dinner, or in a group on Facebook with a couple hundred of your closest dad friends.

2. Work it out. When I need to blow off some steam or am not sure what to do I always find comfort in heading to the gym. There I can clear my head and think things clearly.

3. Reconnect with your passion. I found that picking up the camera and snapping pictures, even if they weren't Instagramable, it still let me exercise that creative muscle I have. I also bought a bike and started to ride through the many trails around Houston with my brother. Also, picked up my old guitar after it was sitting in its case for years.

4. Associate with like-minded people. Being around positive mindsets can have a huge impact on your state of mind and help you get out of that slump. It can bring new ideas and inspire you to get up and take action. Having friends or coworkers that share similar thoughts can help give you a boost or make you feel comfortable to share things with.





Take time for yourself and find those things that make you happy or bring back memories. Release the negative thoughts and share them with somebody or a group of like-minded people. Sometimes as dads we try to give the image of having everything under control, and we know that we worry, get tired, and need a little vacation here and there. It's ok to talk to our significant others and let them know our fears and being vulnerable. It won't make us less of a man for expressing ourselves, it's a way to vent and let that person close to us know what is going on through our minds. Before logging off, I want to thank you for reading to this point and hope that you found this helpful. Feel free to reach out if you need to talk or have questions about fatherhood!

#DadTalk