Why Successful People Like Cheslie Kryst Commit Suicide

How could a woman seemingly so perfect, so beautiful, and so successful take her own life?!?!

It doesn't make any sense.

These were my first thoughts when I heard the news about Cheslie.

But unfortunately, successful people like Cheslie Kryst are taking their own lives more and more at an alarming rate.

At only thirty years old, Cheslie had an array of impressive accomplishments under her belt.

She was crowned Miss USA in 2019. She was also a model, lawyer, and television correspondent.

It is extremely hard for many, including myself, to conceive and understand why she would have taken her life.

And while I don’t totally understand it, I do believe I have some insight into what would cause someone like her to take the plunge to end it all.

My Experience With Depression

I can remember being very unhappy in my twenties and early thirties.

Like most of you, I was told:

Go to school

Be on your best behavior

Make good grades

Go to college and get a good job

You do these things, and you’ll be rewarded with happiness and a good life!

I took that to heart.

I did everything I was told.

Much like Cheslie, I was an over-achiever and did everything just right.

But after graduating college with honors…

I was in for a rude awakening because life was anything but “good.”

It was actually very hard and very disappointing.

I felt duped.

And I was very resentful.

Coming out of college, I was miserable.

I hated my job, and I didn’t really have a lot of friends.

My social life was non-existent, and I longed for Mr. Right but kept running in to Mr. Wrong.

I became depressed as a result.

I’m sure Cheslie had her own share of silent disappointments.

And even though Cheslie seemed to get all the things society tells us will make us happy, I’m sure she had come to realize that she too had been duped.

The Lie Society Tells

Society tells us to:

Work hard

Acquire wealth

Acquire material objects

Be as accomplished as possible

Make lots of money

Get married and have kids

And you will be happy!

It’s simply not true.

It’s a blatant lie.

I can remember working hard in my first job after college. I was starting to make money and make a way for myself in the world.

I had a nice car…

A nice apartment…

And a host of material possessions.

None of these things made me happy.

In fact, the more I acquired, the more I felt I was a slave to those things.

And after working a job that was sapping the life out of me all week long, I was too drained and too tired to even enjoy those things.

It was a trap.

I did eventually find love with my ex-husband, but that didn’t make me happy either.

And I’m sure that being accomplished and having material things didn’t necessarily equate to happiness for Cheslie either.

The Comparison Trap

Social Media doesn’t help the matter.

We are bombarded with images of seemingly perfect people living seemingly perfect lives.

Then we compare our lives to their lives and we become even more depressed.

More of us are starting to wake up and realize that people only show the best part of their lives.

We don’t get to see their struggles, and many are presenting a facade.

Better Days Ahead

Things started to shift for me in my early 30’s.

It was at this time that I started to realize that happiness is a choice.

It has nothing to do with your external circumstances. It comes from being at peace with yourself from within.

I started exploring my spirituality a lot more, and I came to the realization that I had to define my own happiness.

I was never going to find happiness chasing society’s definition of happiness.

Surprisingly, I found I became happier by not doing the things society tells us will make us happy.

Ironically, when I…

Got away from the matrix of the 9 to 5 rat race

Cut back on consumerism and became more of a minimalist

Got out of a bad marriage that was not fulfilling

I became happier than I’ve ever been.

Final Thoughts

Life is not perfect. It can be a roller coaster of ups and downs, highs and lows, and everything in between.

It can literally be too much to bear at times.

And while I don’t have all the answers, there are certain things that helped me to overcome my depression.

Those things were:

My faith

My spirituality

Realizing happiness is a choice

Defining happiness for myself on my own terms

I also…

Read a lot of self-help books

Started meditating

Started doing a lot of inner healing work.

But I do realize that depression for some is on a more chemical level and may require medication to offset any imbalances.

If you are struggling, I encourage you to reach out to your loved ones and seek therapy.

I also encourage you to try doing the things that I did as well because it made all the difference for me.

I’m sorry that Cheslie is no longer here. She was a sweet and kind soul that was loved by many. She will surely be missed.

I urge everyone to learn from her story and to prioritize your mental-health as much as possible.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Hours: Available 24 hours. Languages: English, Spanish.

Learn more

800–273–8255