IT was a moment of awakening for first-time author Stephen Connor.
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A bleak view of the present, and an even darker outlook of days ahead, all seemed lost — but then life kicked in.
What happened next is sprawled across the pages of his book No Stone Unturned, The Path to Freedom.
His autobiography delves into the life of the Riverwood father and grandfather.
Mr Connor, a survivor of depression, found solace in spirituality, which inspired him to become a facilitator of a practice known as the Isha system after he travelled to South America.
His book details the journey to positive thinking and appreciation of the simple things in life.
"The simplest way to describe depression is how resistant you are to your feelings," he said. "It forms with how your life turns out, and how you cope.
"My self-esteem was so low. I was about to commit suicide, then I thought to myself if I'm going to live, I'm going to change.
"The pain slowly lifts with each experience, and I gained mental muscle. When I recovered, I thought how can I help people?"
Mr Connor contacted the Leader to share his story after he saw an article published about Allawah mother Katrina Tsaftaropoulos, who battled depression.
"I read about the work she did with young people and mental illness in schools," Mr Connor said.
"We became friends and I joined her on a visit to a high school. Students come away from these presentations with a better understanding of themselves."
A health counsellor and personal trainer, Mr Connor hosts free group wellbeing fitness sessions in Oatley Park on weekends.
Book buying: Amazon online or Berkelouw Books, Cronulla; details: stephenconnor.org
