Fighting depression

One of the things I enjoy very much is sitting here early in the morning with a cup of tea and putting my thoughts into words. Sometimes I go for an early jog and ideas pop into my head. Other times, I have no idea what I am going to write about, but I trust the Universe will assist me in finding a key thought to express. This is my diary blog and I write because perhaps one person out there can benefit from reading about my experiences or my counsel.

How many of you out there have had instances when depression or depressive moments came in and took charge of your daily lives? I am writing about this today not because I am depressed, but because a good friend of mine is battling depression as a result of the pressure from his collapsing business. I met with him this past Friday and after having a beer he confided that the pressure is getting to him and seemed overwhelmed by it.

I've been in his shoes before. I've had the entire weight of the world on my shoulders and more. I've gone out for a walk to clear the negative thoughts from my head and felt both knees buckled. What's the solution I ask? Again, it is inside of us and not outside. For many, it is required that we go through these fires to reach the calm waters. There are lessons we must learn because of bad decisions we made at some point and now it's pay-back time. In other instances, it is part of our karma and the heartaches are a cleansing solution that can bring us down from the proverbial high horse - a way to make us see what is really important in life, to put us on the right path, or to grow internally. Or it is simply a fact of life that things are not always going to be perfect and we have to deal with the ups and downs.

I will be blunt in what I am getting ready to say but I believe that a depressive state of mind is a selfish state of mind. Nothing matters more than our problems. We become the center of this universe and this "crisis" is the only thing that is important. Since we become the center of attention, it is normal that we start attracting others with similar views - misery loves company. If we thought the hole was getting deeper, lets go find an industrial size shovel because we are now digging full time. (Quick advise for those of you who are depressed: if you go confide your problems to a friend and afterwards he or she makes you feel worse than when you started, walk away!) Stop digging and take time to think about all the good things that you have in your life. I know it is easier said than done, particularly when one is overwhelmed with all the problems.....stop thinking about yourself and give to others. Go to McDonald's and buy a happy meal and give it to the first dirty, nasty homeless guy you see laying in the middle of the street. Don't say anything to him, just drop it on his lap. Turn around and walk away and I guarantee you will feel better about it and for that one quick second, your depression will not be there.

Create those quick moments in your life and soon the dark clouds will disappear.

Armed with the ignorance of my innocence

I have fallen prey to the belief that kindness and honesty can trump an evil action. I have dropped to my knees often and allowed the whip of a tyrant to lash against my back. Each lash brought with it the hope that justice would prevail. The pain was temporary and the wounds eventually healed, but I finally realized the wickedness of an amoral soul can't be harnessed with kind words or the truth.....

The truth is irrelevant to those who erect monuments to their self-interest and preservation. Can Lady Justice peek underneath her blindfold and see the scales are uneven? How does one fight the approaching storm that threatens to eradicate the harvest of a lifetime? Bow submissively to those strong winds like a palm tree never taking your eyes off the ultimate goal: recover and lick your wounds, regain strength, and at the right moment pierce the heart of the storm with the lightning of the truth.

Ask for more problems in life......it is homework!

Last night I was talking to some friends about the challenges and difficulties we encounter in life. One friend argued that she prays for a solution whenever she faces a hard problem in life but often "God doesn't listen or doesn't want to help her" get out of proverbial "hole." Another friend commented that the periods of happiness in her life are few and far between. What she perceives as happiness, quickly disappears when a new obstacle comes into her world.

My friends are good people but they are misguided. They don't understand the real purpose of life. It is not a country club, a spa, or a beach resort where you can just relax, enjoy a margarita, and go dancing all night without worries. What would you learn about yourself and how much pressure you can handle when the screws are tighten? How would you react to an illness or a tragedy unless you have been tested?

Imagine if a school decides to promote children to the next grade without taking any tests? (this is the norm and not the exception in our public schools today). At some point, those children will have to go out into the real world. They are not prepared for the realities of life. A minor setback can turn into depression or worst - suicide. Each adversity becomes an insurmountable obstacle. An effort is not made to find the solution, but to complain about life's unfairness or to blame others for our miserable existence.

God doesn't give you more than you can handle at any given time. The key is to understand the "homework" assignment and not dwell on the reason(s) as to why it was given at that particular time. With total abnegation and joy, begin working on the solution. There is a bigger picture that perhaps you can't comprehend at this time but will slowly emerge once you understand that He is painting a beautiful landscape and you are His canvas.

Mastering Our Fears

A quick lesson on mastering our fears: Love is a selfless quality. It is objective. Fear on the other hand is a self-centered quality. It is subjective. When we dwell too much on ourselves, thinking about our weaknesses or failings, it tends to create fears within us.

Love puts us to work for something or someone else. We become preoccupied with thoughts about others - friends, family, or total strangers. There is little time to think of SELF!

This is when we are most free from our fears.

I am so happy Ted Kennedy is gone!!!!!

Hold your fire and finish reading my entire blog entry.

Note that I said "gone" and not "dead." I believe that every end (death) is a beginning. Kennedy's body had finally reached the end. The brain cancer he was suffering from had taken a toll on his body and it was time for his "body" to change into the spiritual realm. I can describe it like changing a set of clothes - a material set for a spiritual one.

I was never a Kennedy fan. I vehemently disagreed with him both personally and politically. I am sure most of the people who loved Kennedy, including his family, didn't want to see him depart. This is the most selfish attitude any human being can have. First, who are we to decide when a person is to die? It is the God complex in so many of us who feel abandoned or betrayed by those who die before us.

Imagine if you have a son in prison and one day someone calls to inform you that he is ready to be released from his long and painful imprisonment. You don't want him to be "free" so you ask the warden to keep him "behind bars" another 5 years because you would miss the visits, his letters, or the sound of his voice on the phone. An illness is like being in prison - a prison of the body. His time has come, to leave behind his empty cell, and you decide that because of your own self-interest he can't leave yet because you will feel "sad, terrible, or in pain."

I blame society and religion for our ignorance and fear of death. This earth and life is a temporary home. Our true home is in a state of spiritual conscience. Some call it heaven while others refer to it as astral levels of consciousness. This is were Ted Kennedy is today. He has joined his brothers, parents, family members, and those angels who guided him during his 77 year mission on this earth. Did he fulfill his commitment? Did he pay his debt? Only he knows that now that he is facing the fairest judge in this universe - his own conscience.

Someone once said that "death is the golden key that opens the door to eternity." Kennedy has reached the door and I pray that he can embrace the light and continue his journey.

The wrong beliefs will enslave you

As long as you think that God will punish, test, or govern you with an iron fist, or He is a cruel tyrant, you will always be confused, dazed, perplexed, and in a constant state of conflict. This form of thinking is chaotic and it leads to misery in your life. Man becomes what his thoughts are each and every day.

Christ declared that God is our father and we are his children. As a result, your relationship with Him should be cordial and loving just like a father and son relationship. For the rest of your life, don't consider Him a God of anger and punishment. If you maintain these negative thought patterns, suffering and misery will constantly manifest in your life.

Believe and accept only those things that are good and beautiful about Him. Believe in His kindness and loving guidance. The harmony that He brings into your life despite the dark clouds that gather in the horizon. Believe that abundance is your birthright and you are ready to receive it. He is your loving father who wants your happiness and freedom above all things.

You are here today to express your purpose because the world must enjoy the blessings only you can provide.

Your thoughts are prayers

Every thought or feeling is a prayer. A prayer doesn't have to be ritualistic in nature. It is a very simple conscious contact with your internal divine power or intelligence. In order for the prayer to be effective, you must first believe that God is within you and every desire can be fulfilled as long as it is completely accepted by your subconscious mind. Once the subconscious mind grabs the desire as something real, creative juices begin flowing to manifest it.

I pray several times a day but not so much to ask for something in particular but to gain strength and faith. How many of you spend hours each week at the gym "polishing" your bodies and yet your subconscious mind stays in the car anxiously awaiting your return? Like any good marathon runner, your subconscious mind must be conditioned to go the long distance, go past the point of total exhaustion, to go over "the wall," and to push the last half mile when your legs are telling you that they can't go any further.

It is the constant inner assurance that the solutions are at your fingertips. The soft voice that whispers "one more step, don't quit now, go around the corner one more time......"

.....and then a "miracle" happens! Your prayer has been answered. Not really, miracles don't exist. What we call a miracle is the result of two or more perfect sources of energy that collide at the right moment. Sources that were created by your thoughts and not some wishful thinking.

Give it a try. Change those thought patterns and "miracles" will begin to emerge.