Mike Thompson:
I am CEO and founder of The Father Show Resource Program, which is a web-based organization. I am a motivational speaker, and I also sing and do modeling and some commercials and also outside sales.
It just really got to me because I've never been out of work in my life. I started working when I was 14 and never had a problem finding a job, never had never been out of a job. And, you know, being 52 at the time and finally can't find a job, it was really frustrating and very hard to, I guess as a man in a sense, or my pride, to not have a job and not be able to provide for my family. It really took me down, I think probably the lowest point in my whole entire life. I don't think I've ever been that low, where I really, really was thinking about committing suicide. I was just, was not happy, didn't see any outcome. You know, couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel.
One night, you know, I was just sitting there and I just really... I think the only thing that kept me from really committing suicide that particular night was thinking about my son. But most importantly, I didn't have anything to do it with. So that was really the key. I think had I had something, it really would've been a serious toss-up as to which way I would've gone. But you know, the idea though, of thinking about my son walking in and seeing me there dead is not a picture. That picture in my head just didn't go well. I just couldn't do it. I couldn't put that burden on him to live with that for the rest of his life. That was just what is selfish of me to do that.
One thing I always tell people, you can't be mad or sad if you laughing. So I found things to do that made me laugh. I went to Comedy Works or I found movies that made me laugh, so to get my spirits back up, and then, you know, spent more time with my son and start doing things with him. And it was like, okay, this is not going to be the end. This is not the way my life is going to end. I'm going to get back on my feet. And I just started reading things that would be more positive, doing things that were more positive and telling myself every day it's going to get better. It's going to get better.
When you are sad and you have some emotion, it's okay to cry because you got to let it out. You know, it sits there inside of you and just eats you up. Find somebody to talk to, whether it's your pastor, whether it is your parents or your sibling. Find somebody that you can sit down and bounce those ideas off with and get that stuff off your chest. Do whatever it takes. Find your passion. Whatever it is that you like doing, find it and start doing it, only as much as you possibly can. And I know if you're like in my situation where I was broke and really didn't have anybody to talk to, but you can still. There's something out there for you.