An anonymous friend sent in some quotes with this note:
 
Hi Steve,
I have these quotes on my wall to remind me to stay centered.  Might be useful to someone.
 
“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve
been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan
  
“If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today.”
- E. Joseph Cossman
 
”Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination.” - Roy Goodman

Someone emailed me an article that I wanted to share.  Plenty of great information:

A Cantonese-speaking New York police officer has used his language skills to talk a suicidal man out of ending
his life by throwing himself off a bridge. 

The Chinese man was standing on the edge of the Verrazano Bridge, which connects Brooklyn to Staten Island, when he brought traffic to a standstill yesterday, the US ABC Network reports. 

First responders were unable to communicate with the distressed man and promptly called their Chinese-born colleague Yi Huang. 

The officer rushed to the scene and spoke to the suicidal man, reassuring him as a fellow Asian immigrant that his financial situation would improve as well as problems with his teenage daughter. 

After a four-hour standoff the negotiator managed to talk the man out of his plan and he walked away from the edge of the bridge. 

A spokesman for the New South Wales Police's Mental Health Intervention unit, which deals with suicide attempts, said starting a conversation with those about to take their lives could help. 

"First port of call is to contact police," Detective Superintendent Dave Donohue told ninemsn. 

"Don’t put yourself in a situation of risk and, if you feel that you have the ability to, enter some kind of dialogue before police arrive." 

He said even if talking to the person at risk did not seem to be working it would usually buy enough time for experts to arrive and take control of the situation. 

Once police arrive it is important for the people speaking to the suicidal person to be prepared to hand the matter over to police, he added. 

He said he had been in situations where some people have been unwilling to let the police take over. 

Alan Woodward, the executive director of the Lifeline Foundation for suicide prevention in Australia, said simply asking those at risk if they are feeling okay is one of the best ways to help prevent suicide. 

"If it's a friend or family member who you are concerned about it's important to ask honestly and openly if they are feeling suicidal," he said. 

"Research shows most of the time people will answer honestly, particularly if someone they trust is asking the question." 

Mr Woodward stressed that asking someone about suicidal thoughts would not influence them to carry through with suicide.

TIME Magazine had a cover article recently by Nancy Gibbs
& Mark  Thompson titled "The  War On
Suicide?" and detailed the epidemic of suicides among current and  former
U.S. military personnel. The authors cite current statistics of one  active duty
suicide a day and one every 80 minutes among all veterans, but they went beyond
the numbers to detail the personal stories of several recent  suicides by active
duty servicemen.
 
I bring this up because recently I've been in touch with several members of
the military to see what could be done to assist in a solution to this alarming
problem.  I also read, with great interest, TIME Magazine Washington Deputy
Bureau Chief Mark Thompson's in-depth look at the troubling rise in military
suicides.  Thompson says he interviewed the former number two officer in the
army who told him, “there are promising techniques that the military could
deploy against suicide but they involve an initial two-hour screening, a
sit-down, a one on one with a psychiatrist that this nation is just not willing
to pay for.”  Thompson added that, “soldiers or veterans filing for disability
have to wait months if not years for their claims to be adjudicated.” 
 
Over the next couple weeks I'll be putting together a new section that will
be dedicated to helping our military and their family deal with this
overwhelming problem.  I'm really interested in solutions, not finger pointing. 

 
What are your thoughts?

Everyday I get a message, email, or text from someone who is a survivor. 
Each story is unique but the theme is the same.  They survived their darkest
ordeal and want to share their message with others. 
 
"Dave" was one of the first to reach out to me after I set up the site and
is a true inspiration.  We've had a number of conversations and while he's not
quite ready to share everything, he wanted to contribute something today. 
Here's what he sent me:
 
Steve, 
Please share with your readers.  The best thing I ever did was talk to a
friend about what was going on inside me.  For a long time I kept it in and I
didn't know the toll it was taking until it was almost too late.  Talking about
it made me realize that I needed help and forced me to take the first step
towards getting it.  I know everyone is different but I know that more people
life me are out there.  We are on the edge without knowing it and it can just be
a simple talk that starts to turn things around.  Talk soon and thank you!
 
It really can be that simple.  Stop and take a look at your circle of
friends and family.  Do they show signs?  If you're holding it in, talk to
someone.  Don't be embarrassed or ashamed.  We all need help at times.  A type
of joy exists that can be found on the other side of help. 

-Steve
240-418-1887

When I put www.youcanendure.com together, I did so with a very clear vision.  I knew I wanted to expand it
from a resource site into something bigger.  This blog is the next step in that.  Over the next few weeks and months you'll be seeing some improvements and progress that will better reflect what I want to do.  Apple Computers had a saying: “People who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”  

The purpose of this blog is to give people an outlet to share their story.  To help.  To inspire.  To give hope. 

Since starting this site I've been contacted by hundreds of people who have asked for help and people who have wanted to help.  I've heard story after story of struggle and loss.  I don't have all the answers and I'm not a
professional but if I can lighten the burden or direct someone to people who are trained to help, to me, it's all worth it.

If you have a story to share, I urge you to do so.  The right words at the right time can make all the difference.  Everyday this blog will bring offer something for those looking.  The road to happiness, peace, and balance is a way of travel, not a destination.  Thanks for coming along on the journey.

-Steve
240-418-1887