The Field Guide for Radical Living: A Six-Week Series Part Six

The Field Guide for Radical Living: A Six-Week Series 

There is an art to living well, and even more so when living with depression, PTSD, or any other mental health condition. 

This field guide is a six-week blog series for those who want to master that art. 

Each “radical” is a practice. Together, they form a way of living. 

This guide is designed to help out during the toughest times. Chances are, if things feel like they are falling apart, if it feels like life isn't going how we would like it too, one of the “radicals” in this series is going to speak to you and be a call to action. 

Each “radical” is a little complex, a little nuanced. Some take a while to wrap your head around. Most of them contain within them a dialectic, or a need to hold two things true at once. 

Week six: Vision and Expansion

Moving from healing into creation.
This is post-stabilization, post-healing, where identity, meaning, and future orientation come online.

Radical Imagination

See what doesn’t yet exist.

Healing is not just repair, it's creation. Vision is a therapy. Envision wildly, vividly, daringly. Then build it.

“You are the author.”

Try this: Journal about the life you want, no limits.

Radical Flexibility

Stay rooted and bend.

Flexibility means you can pivot without losing your core. Rigidity is fear in a clever disguise. Adaptability is strength.

“Rigidity is resistance in disguise.”

Try this: When stuck, ask: “What else is possible?”

Radical Faith

Believe there is a way, even when you can’t see it yet and act knowing that you will find that way thorough. Radical faith is not about believing everything will go your way.

You have been through an unbelievable amount of challenges in your life, and you always made it through. Have faith in yourself that you have it in you to face any challenge. 

Try this: When in doubt, “If I trusted myself fully, to be able to take on any challenge, what action would it take right now?”

Healing is not just about repairing what broke, it’s about imagining what could exist next. You are allowed to dream beyond survival. To envision a life that feels meaningful, alive, and uniquely yours. Stay rooted in your values but remain open to how the path unfolds. Faith is not certainty. It's a movement without guarantees. And you are already on your way.

This field guide was never meant to be mastered, only returned to when things feel tough. Different seasons will call for different radicals. Some days require surrender. Others demand courage. Trust that you’ll know which one to reach for. You are not behind. You are not broken. You are practicing the art of living and that is radical enough.

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