Enlighten

Hello to all our supporters,

It has been an amazing journey since September. We would like to take this moment and thank ALL of you. Whether you purchased a candle or not, you have made a difference. Just by following us on Facebook and Instagram, you have made your share to make Enlighten where we are today. We are sad to say that production will soon come to a halt. We will be competing at he competition tomorrow at UBC. If you would like to purchase candles in the near future, feel free to DM us! ☺️💕

Warm Regards,

Enlighten
Magee Enactus Team

"I used to think that mental health was a joke. I thought that people who suffered from depression and other disorders were just weak. I never thought that I would ever have to deal with my own mental health. My own depression sparked when I was around seven years old. It was the first time I ever considered su***de as a path that I could take. At that point in my life I was constantly physically and emotionally abused. Growing up in an Asian household was one of the most difficult things that I have ever experienced. Being raised by two dirt poor immigrants may sound like the beginning of an inspirational story, but in truth it was a lot worse. I was always taught to contain my emotions. I could never be weak and cry, because that was only for girls. I never learned to share how I felt with anybody. This continued throughout my elementary school and middle school years. By the time I got to high school, I was very good at suppressing my thoughts and emotions. It was almost as if I had buried the original me and put on a completely new person. At this time, I went through a series of life changing experiences, both good and bad. With my life slowly teetering back and forth between soaring highs and devastating drops, I could hardly feel anything anymore. I thought that my life was simply not worth living. I was so weak from being pushed around by life that I barely had to live. I began to doubt everything that happened to me. Why were all these things directed towards me? The little strength that I had in me told me that one day, I would have my chance to really be happy. But life continued to knock me down. I couldn’t breathe. It was terribly hard to get out of bed or do anything productive. Life didn’t just drop me. Life threw me off a cliff. I actually gave up. I stood on a stool with a rope around my neck one day. Funny how some coincidences work out. I got a text from one of my friends and we just talked for a few hours. At my lowest point, I got a little help from a friend. Even as I’m writing this, I’m still thanking this person for saving my life. I owe everything to this person. This little boost, this little helping hand kick started my journey into a healthier lifestyle. With the help of some of my friends in the beginning, I learned to take everyday as a goal. All I had to do was get through the day and that would mean that I won. My progress was slow but steady. Everyday was a decision, and I chose to press on. I still met my fair share of obstacles and I still fell. I realized that getting knocked on my ass was not the end of the world. All I had to do was sit down and rest, get my s**t together, and give it another shot. Decide to try again. Everybody always says things get better, but I think that’s wrong. Things don’t get better, you get better."

Thank you for sharing your story!

, one story at a time.

"Some people who know me are shocked to hear about my battle with depression because I don’t appear to show outward signs of depression when I am around people. I learned how to live in denial about it and hide any signs of it. It has been a roller coaster ride for me for the last 10 years. I was bombarded by suicidal thoughts but I never had a plan of action to end my life. Those passive thoughts were all that I had for comfort. I felt empty, alone, and consumed by this sense of darkness. I didn't think I would ever see the light at the end of my tunnel, until I started to deal with depression in 2012. My depression was the result of the many years of physical, verbal, mental, and emotional abuse that my mom had inflicted on me. Growing up my mom had always told us that this was her way of disciplining. That through hits, slaps, yells, and harsh language and punishment we would learn to be obedient. By time I moved out after high school it was clear to me that her treatment was not a form of discipline, but domestic violence and abuse. I forced myself to remain physically and mentally strong because it was the only way I survived in that house. The harder I tried to suppress the pain and trauma, the worse I felt. I knew I had the symptoms of depression, but I didn’t know what to do. I was afraid to seek professional help thinking that it would be useless and I was just simply not ready to deal with the darkness. It was just too painful. I did not think that anyone would understand what I had gone through, nor would they be able to help me. I was still in a great state of denial. I was trying to convince myself that I was strong enough to deal and overcome this on my own, that all this pain will eventually go away if I don’t think about it. I finally reached out for help when I was at my breaking point. The day I saw a psychologist, my road to recovery began. Not to my surprise, I was diagnosed with depression. She suggested that I try taking an antidepressant to help deal with the symptoms, so that I can have the mental and emotional capacity to deal with the pain and work towards a path of healing.

As I continue to actively deal and work through the aftermath of the many years of abuse through counselling, taking my antidepressant, and learning the power of forgiveness, I know that I am on the right path to recovery and healing. I know some days I will move further along than other days and other days I may find myself fall down or taken a few steps back, but that's OKAY because I know how to pick myself back up and the direction that I need to head. At least I know that when I look back I am not in the same place nor the person that I used to be in the good way!

Throughout all this I could not have made it through and be here today to share my personal story of what mental illness looks like if it weren’t for my Faith and the community of friends that I have been blessed with. Without their continuous support and willingness to walk with me, this journey would be a lot more difficult.

If you were to ask me how depression changed me in a positive way I would say that it has given me a voice to speak up about the importance of mental health to remove the stigma; it has made me become more compassionate and caring to those who are suffering; it has given me a better understanding of mental health and how to be there and journey along side those who are dealing with a mental illness. Our stories matter, because they give us the power to break down the walls and stigma around mental health! You never know how your story maybe helping another person."

"Depression and anxiety have always been huge factors in my life, but I wasn’t always aware of it. As a kid I felt a little different from other people my age, I over-thought situations, wasn’t the most talkative or outgoing person, and my home life wasn’t great. I can’t remember a time my parents got along with each other or really acted like a couple, but as such a naive and innocent kid it never really affected me; this changed in August 2009. My dad took me to the park at my school, but instead of playing with me as usual, he sat at a bench by the playground with his head down. I walked over to him and asked him if he was okay, he then asked me to sit down and explained to me he was leaving home that day. We walked back home and found my grandpa loading my dads things into his car, my brother sitting on the front porch crying. I’ll never forget how it felt sitting there with my brother watching my dad drive away, I didn’t see him for a long time after that. Everything got worse after my dad left, my depression became more apparent and my life felt split in two without him there for me.
I finished elementary school and got into high school, with my anxiety and depression getting worse each year. In the 9th grade I went through a really messy breakup that added to my issues. My usual one panic attack per day turned to two or three, sometimes more. A month or two after the breakup my mom put me into counselling, and although it made me and my mom open up to each other and helped me move past self harm, counselling did nothing for my mental health issues. Fast forward two years later and here I am, although some things in my life have gotten better, I’m still struggling. I only get to see my dad once a month because he’s always busy with work, I had a major fallout with one of my closest friends, I’ve been used and played by multiple boys, and dealing with my mental health hasn’t gotten any easier. I think one of the most significant things I've learned through it all is the importance to talk about how you’re feeling, whether that’s to a counsellor, family member or friend. The thought that keeps me going is it could have been worse, and no matter what happens I know I have people in my life who will never give up on me."

It was great meeting our supporters last Friday at the Market Fair! Thanks guys! 🤘

Happy Sunday everyone! Our lovely winner from our recent giveaway sent us a photo! Look how happy she looks! 😊 Big smiles from Sarah!

Again thank you to everyone who participated!

Happy Hump Day everyone! Our production team is hard at work preparing for the Market Fair happening THIS FRIDAY!! We hope to see you there 🤗

Happy Friday everyone! Catch us at the Market Fair next Friday! We'll be selling our candles there all night. We hope to see you guys there 🤗💕

Congratulations to Sarah Wang for winning the candle! Thank you to everyone who participated! If you didn't win, do not fret! Enlighten will be selling candles at the Magee Market Fair on February 10th!
Be there or be square! 😊

Happy Saturday everyone! Don't forget to check out our previous post for a chance to WIN an ENLIGHTEN candle!

Thank you to all our supporters and donors! As an act of appreciation, we will be giving away TWO candles!
One for Instagram and One for Facebook!

Here are the rules for the FACEBOOK giveaway:

1) Like this photo
2) Like our Enlighten page
3) Comment the scent you would like to win (unscented, warm vanilla, ocean wave, joyful jasmine)

Deadline: Sunday, January 29th, 2017 @ 11:59pm

Winners will be announced in the upcoming post! (stay tuned!)

Stay tuned for an exciting opportunity to win a FREE candle!