Episode 20 – Overcoming Depression & Fighting for Life with Leon Ruri

Episode 20: Overcoming Depression & Fighting for Life

Nearly 800,000 men worldwide commit suicide every year. Countless more suffer in the silent pain of depression. Leon Ruri knows this journey well. This week, he shares with us his story, a peak inside the mind and behind the smile of a depressed man, and how an ancient war dance ritual is awakening the spirit of life in men all over the world.

Topics Covered:

Life experience and our decision-making ability are the differences between a boy and a man
Forever Boys: effective and ineffective tendencies of men from Australia
The importance of a light heart and a good sense of humor in life
Using humor as a measure for situations and a medicine for healing
Choosing life over darkness
Leon’s story of rock bottom
Inside the mind of a depressed man
The inability to engage with challenge and stress in life has created suicide as an alternative
Hiding behind a smile
Why it’s so important to have support from others and accountability when bringing yourself out of depression
Creating a vision and being consistent
Haka Demonstration at ANZAC Day (April 2017)
Haka for Life – giving a voice to the silent
Internalizing emotions (anger, frustration, sadness, loneliness, etc.) creates hopelessness and despair
Advocating for full-expression of men – using the Haka
The power and influence of a fully-expressed man