Elvina: Tell us about Joy.
Chude: Joy is very dear to my heart. I got my first experience of depression in law school. From 2007-2016, I have been in this cycle of depression, and husting to survive because I didn’t come from wealth or the middle-class. I’ve been dealing with being in and out of depression and unhappiness and all the various things I have been writing about.
The year 2013 was the first shot. I got home and collapsed on the floor. My doctor did all kinds of test, including HIV test, and found nothing. He advised that I had to go off work.
In 2016, I was exhausted and was diagnosed of clinical depression. I was tired of life and considered taking my own life. I told the board at RED that I will step down and do a succession plan for two years.
Then, I had a huge bout of depression for three months. At that point, I knew that my current lifestyle wasn’t sustainable.
I needed to go find myself.
In the process of coming out of that depressive state, I came across books, YouTube videos and all the things people have written and said about happiness and depression. I decided that I wanted to live the rest of my life in joy, in happiness and in laughter.
That experience was how I started The Joy Masterclass, to share what I have learnt, and to remind myself of the things I have learnt, as I built new habits.
Joy came at a point where I was sad about everything, and decided that there has to be a better way to live this life.
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