It was a normal day—until it wasn’t.
I was minding my own business, trying to enjoy my morning coffee, when suddenly, a commotion erupted behind me. There was shouting, frantic scrambling, and the unmistakable sound of something—or someone—falling out of a vehicle.
I turned around just in time to see a dozen Minions tumble out of a tiny car, piling onto the sidewalk like an avalanche of yellow chaos. One of them dusted himself off, adjusted his goggles, and marched straight up to me. “Bruce! We need help!”
I blinked. “Uh…help with what?”
Another Minion popped up. “LIFE! It’s too much. Too many bananas. Too much stress. Too many things we don’t understand. We’re losing our Minion minds!”
And just like that, I knew: The Minions were struggling—just like the rest of us!
But here’s the thing—they had come looking for me on purpose. They knew my story. For 20 years, I battled Bipolar, Alcoholism, Anxiety Disorders, and PTSD. It left me feeling powerless, and at my lowest, I tried to end my life. But in those darkest moments, I realized something life-changing: Mental health is the key to overcoming any challenge.
From that realization, I created the Mental Health Warrior Program—a groundbreaking SELF-HELP approach designed to help anyone take charge of their emotions, triumph over challenges, and build the life they really want.
The Minions had heard about this, and they wanted in. “Bruce, you turned your struggles into strength. We want to do that too!”
I took a deep breath, cracked my knuckles, and smiled. “Alright, little guys. It’s time to become Mental Health Warriors!”
What’s a Mental Health Warrior?
A Mental Health Warrior is someone who takes control of their emotions, builds resilience, and finds solutions instead of staying stuck. It’s a SELF-HELP approach that works—because warrior action creates positive results!
The Minions nodded excitedly. “But how do we start? We are very small and very easily distracted!”
Good question, little dudes. That’s the beauty of it: The first steps to becoming a Mental Health Warrior are simple! And, in true Minion fashion, they broke it down into 3 easy steps you can do today and see results by dinner.
Step 1: Say Out Loud: “I Am a Mental Health Warrior!”
One Minion gasped. “Wait! We don’t even have to put it on our to-do list? We just say it?”
Exactly. Say it out loud: “I AM A MENTAL HEALTH WARRIOR.”
Why?
Because the moment you declare it, you take action. And when you take action, results always follow. It takes your goal out of the land of “someday” and plants it firmly in “Right now, we’re doing this.”
Warrior Benefits:
✅ Takes ZERO extra effort (Minions love efficiency).
✅ Instantly shifts your mindset from “struggling” to “rising above.”
✅ Declaring it makes it real—it’s no longer a thought; it’s a decision.
One Minion cheered. “I AM A MENTAL HEALTH WARRIOR!”
The others immediately followed, chanting it like a battle cry. Things were getting real.
Step 2: Take 5 Minutes to Process Today’s Emotions
Another Minion waved his tiny arms. “But we have NO TIME! We are VERY BUSY BEING CHAOTIC!”
That’s fair. Life is busy. But the truth is, we don’t struggle because we’re too busy. We struggle because we don’t take a moment to process our emotions.
So here’s the challenge:
Find five minutes at the end of your day. Maybe in your car, maybe with some music, maybe in the only room in your house where no one will bother you (looking at you bathroom).
But take five minutes to sit, breathe, and reflect on the day.
Ask yourself:
What went well?
Where did I struggle?
What emotion was behind that struggle?
Warrior Benefits:
✅ Stops emotions from piling up like an out-of-control banana hoard.
✅ Helps you recognize what worked and what didn’t.
✅ Teaches you to manage emotions instead of letting them manage you.
A Minion nodded seriously. “So, if I fell in banana goo today and got embarrassed… I could think of a way to avoid slipping tomorrow instead of just being mad about it?” YES. EXACTLY.
The Minions were catching on fast.
Step 3: Talk to Someone About Your Emotions
One particularly skeptical Minion raised a tiny yellow hand. “But, Bruce, we don’t want to be SAD and talk about how LIFE STINKS.”
Fair enough. That’s not what this is about. Talking about emotions isn’t complaining—it’s connecting.
Why?
When you talk about what you’re feeling—without the doom and gloom approach—you do two big things:
You get comfortable expressing emotions, which makes them less overwhelming.
You open the door for others to do the same, and suddenly, you’re not alone.
Warrior Benefits:
✅ Helps you see that everyone struggles—yes, even other Minions!
✅ Makes emotions feel normal instead of something to hide.
✅ Encourages stronger connections with friends and family.
One Minion’s goggles nearly fell off. “Wait, so if we talk about it, we ALL WIN?!”
BINGO. Warriors lift each other up.
The Best Part? You Can Start RIGHT NOW
By this point, the Minions were PUMPED. They were Mental Health Warriors in the making.
One of them grabbed my arm. “Bruce! This is SO EASY! We can do all three TODAY! And by dinner, we will be WARRIORS and can then build our strength even further with all of the resources of the Mental Health Warrior Program you created!”
And that’s the magic of it. You don’t have to wait weeks, months, or years to see change. You just have to START. Matter of fact, START NOW!
✅ Say the words. (I am a Mental Health Warrior!)
✅ Take five minutes. (Pause. Process.)
✅ Talk about your emotions. (Not as a complaint, but as a connection.)
And just like that—you have started your Mental Health Warrior Journey!
Bruce Schutter
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