Where do I begin to get mentally healthy?

Somebody must a' kicked me around some.

Lately, I'm really on this peace kick. But what's my first step toward peaceful mental health? Where do I begin? Well, they say let peace begin with you so I'm working from the inside out. I don't know if anyone noticed, but I've been trying to be a lot nicer lately. And folks, it ain't easy or natural for this fed up Grandma to be nice.

I used to be super nice before the world started using me as a soccer ball. Oh, I've been kicked around some alright, Tom Petty. And then some more after that. But you know what? I'm not one to lay around and revel in my abandonment, either. I do not plan to live like a refugee like the song says.

What I plan to do is to restore that nice little girl I used to be to her former glory. Or at least as close as possible. Because being nice to people is what I'm best at. It makes me feel good about myself. It makes me happy to see other people happy.

Now, I'm also not taking it too far this time. I'm not planning on helping people to the point where they no longer deem it necessary to help themselves. Because, first of all, that's not healthy for them. And secondly, it leaves me resentful and miserable.

There is a fine line.

Sometimes being nice to people means saying no because it's the best thing for them. Standing on one's own two feet is the greatest feeling ever. So why would I take that away from someone I care about? Well, I did and I have and let me tell you, it's not the smartest move for my health either.

So, here we are, back at the starting line. Step one toward being mentally healthy for me is to be nice to people without being an absolute pushover. Now, step one for you might be different. But for this Grandma, it's the perfect beginning to a happier, healthier mental state.