Depression can be a very lonely illness and your relationships are a key part of how you cope with your depression. You need friends for support. Not just good weather friends but friends who can support you when you?re down. If one of these friends is also depressed it is not necessarily a bad thing. You can understand each other and perhaps be there on each other?s bad days (but not if you?re having a bad time at the same time). However, you need to be conscious when choosing sexual partners that your depression will have altered you as a person. It is likely that the person you get together with when depressed will not be the person you want to be with when you are better. When you are depressed you are a different person ? you may not even know who you really are ? but your partner will be with the person you are at that time. Also, depression alters your view of the world and therefore your view of other people, so your view of your partner will not be the same when you are better.
Now, I?m not saying that you shouldn?t start a relationship when depressed. On the contrary, it could be the best thing for you. It may provide the stability you need to start working through your problems and you may be able to talk to your partner about things you can?t discuss with anyone else. Your partner may be the only person you can relax around and start to feel yourself again. Issues may arise that hadn?t before and wouldn?t have come up if you weren?t in a relationship. On the other hand, you may find that you keep up the pretence of being the person you think you ought to be. There is also the possibility that the relationship could fail before you are ready - perhaps due to your depression. This will make you worse. Either way, the stability may give you the space to start seeing things differently and the confidence to start seeking therapy.
However, what I strongly advise is do not start a relationship with someone who is also depressed. I am not a doctor but I do have 25 years experience of depression and there are two likely outcomes of this sort of relationship. Firstly, one of you will get better, you will split and the other will get worse. The reason is this: if you are simply friends with another depressed person you can help each other and if one of you gets better you can still be there to help the other one with your understanding and advice. However, if you are in a relationship with another depressed person and one of you gets better and you split up then the other person will have suffered the end of their relationship plus the loss of their friendship and support. By all means be friends with other depressed people, we all need friends when we?re depressed, but wait until you have both recovered before you think about starting a sexual partnership.
Depression is a difficult illness to really get rid of. Once you have had it there is always the possibility of a recurrence. If you have recovered from your depression but are still in a relationship with someone who is depressed it is very difficult to stay recovered. Also, you may find that you want to get out of the relationship but feel trapped because you know that the other person will get worse. The stress of this may send you back into depression. This is the second outome - you will both remain depressed.
There are two remaining possible outcomes - the first is that you will both get better and stay together. I believe this is highly unlikely but not impossible. You will both be different people when you are better, with different views and personalities from when you first got together. You may still like each other but want different things. It would be great if you both manage to help each other through depression and out the other side but the normal stresses and strains of a relationship make this unlikely.
The other outcome is that one of you will get better and you will stay together. I think this is the least likely to happen. If you recover from depression and live with someone who is depressed you are not likely to be really happy. You may still remember the feelings and understand but there may be an element of "I got through it so you should be able to as well." We all know that's unreasonable as part of depression is the feeling that you just can't try any more but don't people always say that ex-smokers and the worst critics of smokers?
Bear in mind that a long-term partnership is not necessarily a bad thing when you are depressed but please think about the consequences of getting together with another depressed person. Try to help each other and be there for each other but keep enough distance between you so that you help each other and not bring each other down. In other words, stay friends and don?t live with each other, at least, not until you know who you really are.
June23 maintains the Depression Online Site - a collection of articles for people living either with depression or with someone with depression.
Appreciating Life Itself
All that we want, all that we do, all that we have, all that we like….our looks, our moods, our family, our friends, our jobs, the weather, our political leaders, our cars, our homes…..all of this……a moot point without LIFE. It sounds pretty basic, like, "No kidding!" Many of us all too often forget to appreciate the basics. And the most basic element of our life is…..that we have been blessed with one!
Being alive is probably the number one thing we take for granted. Okay, we were born, we’re breathing…now let’s do, do, do, buy, buy, buy, fix, fix, fix! In the midst of our hectic ‘gotta get ahead’ world, we are losing touch with appreciating life itself. How many of us are truly alive? How many are simply existing, you know, going through the motions robotically? The answer is…too many. What does a person’s best life look like? Of course, the answer varies from individual to individual. My experiences have convinced me that there are a few global concepts that all of us can consider in creating our own best life. All of them relate to a genuine appreciation for the opportunity to experience life with all its ups and downs and twists and turns. This idea transcends personality, ethnicity, age, and so on. Below are the top four ways you can learn to appreciate your very existence. Incorporating any ONE will change your life for the better. But why not try all four?! Remember to be patient, but practice, practice, practice.
- Notice and appreciate every inch of your body inside and out. Do you realize that most of your body functions through no effort of yours? You think, you get from point A to point B, you breathe, your heart beats, your organs do their thing nonstop, and you wake up in the morning. Your senses either enhance your life or protect you from harm. The list could go on and on. As far as your outside goes, is there any good that comes from disliking it? Appreciate the fact that you are alive and beautiful. This beauty must be acknowledged by YOU. Once you choose to see yourself as a spectacular vision, others will notice it as well.
- Notice and appreciate every person you come in contact with. Each one of us has redeeming factors. Commit to discovering at least one for each person you meet. If this ever seems to be a daunting task, choose one of yours and share it with that person. (Examples: your smile, your patience, your respectfulness) A funny thing may happen. It may become easier to notice something great in that other person.
- Notice and appreciate every element of nature. Yes, even the hurricanes and other ‘natural’ disasters. Why? Because the sheer power, unpredictability, and majesty of the forces in this universe are to be admired. We certainly would not cheer about the loss that may result. However, if we can see beyond this aspect that occurs relatively infrequently, there is so very much beauty in and assistance from nature that we can marvel over. Sometimes, we take these for granted. Appreciating the oxygen that ‘happens’ to flow from trees in exactly the amount we need to breathe, the rains that draw life from a lonely stem by producing a perfect blossom, the magical song of baby birds in the spring, or the almost surreal blanketing of snow on the earth in winter can make all the difference in the quality of your life.
- Notice and appreciate those events you perceive as bothersome or unfair. What?! Why would anyone appreciate a broken leg, getting fired, or losing a loved one? Of course, I am not suggesting that you should love these things. But I am suggesting that you, at an appropriate time, look at any such event in your life and find its message for how you can get even closer to truly living your best life because of it. THIS is what you can appreciate.
Judi Debus has been motivating others for all of her career and is now sharing her experiences with a larger audience. Read more about her and her thoughts at www.lifeismine.org
Communication Skills: Internal Boosters
Find out how you can enhance your communication skills by utilizing naturally occurring processes. These methods when used properly, can help you very much to communicate with your inner selves.
1. Choosing your Direction:
Most of the well meaning gurus of modern life have taught us to have goals. I too talk about this on my website(http://www.communication-skills-4confidence.com) .Some of the gurus have gone to the extent of telling us to create the reality in our mind and live it until it manifests in the real world. This is good thing to do and it does work. What we have to understand is that, it is a creative process. We should not use our logical and rational thinking to destroy this process. It is necessary to have goals in life as goal posts, as indicators and route maps. But not as the final destination. Many people get confused with goal setting and set themselves up for disappointment.
All our goals should be aimed at inner satisfaction first and then external manifestation.
It will be lot easier when you take the tension off a destination and create a goal post for yourselves.
2. Build your Self worth:
Getting a snapshot of our inner self and communicating with it is the stepping stone for lasting success. We may have to tweak that picture a little to make it better. After all the inner torment many of us have gone through, this is high time we dive in for a quick look and fix. How can we do that?
Many successful people believe that building one's self worth is the best investment one can make. They have always emphasized on the goodness and importance of giving. Most of the people look at this idea with scoff and feel that they can give out only when they have more than enough, a typical indicator of lack of self worth. The only way to build self worth is by doing good to others and by giving. The good news is that you need not give away money all the time. You can give your time, donate food, blood and lots of other things.
Important: The Intention of giving should be to satisfy oneself and not for appreciation or publicity. It is an act to build your self worth. If you keep seeking approval of others, you will be chasing a mirage. If you actually begin to work toward self approval and build your self worth, you will automatically get all the approval or recognition that you need. This is the natural way and the best way to do anything.
3. Interrupting and Empowering: The Right way to use...
Most of the communication skills courses tell us not to interrupt. I think they are leaving out an important and natural power. Interrupting need not be only in a conversation. It has many garbs. You may be interrupting your sleep to read this article and some times, it is a good thing to do. So instead of casting away it as an unnecessary behavior, utilize it in the following way.
Due to the ritualistic living that we are undergoing, it is quite easy to adjust ourselves into a stereotype and react to circumstances. This is one of the reasons everything stays mediocre instead of the Grand. We often interrupt our grand ideas and empower mediocrity because it is familiar and we won't be seen as fools. If you reverse this process, i.e. interrupt mediocrity and empower creativity, you will have lot more satisfaction and success.
Next time you catch yourself thinking of a problem, interrupt that thinking and empower yourself to look for the solution, rather than keep staring at the problem. Who says learning communication skills can be boring? We got a whole new perspective didn't we?
To sum up, Build your self worth and master your internal communication.(See http://www.communication-skills-4confidence.com/characteristic-of-leadership.html) Use the power of interruption to the max and finally, take off destinations and put up goal posts.
When you have these three criteria with you, it's like mastering the accelerator, gears and brake of your fine tuned engine. Drive wherever you like. Your communication skills will be awesome and powerful.
Sri Hari has been developing new insights in communication skills helping thousands enjoy a happier life at http://www.communication-skills-4confidence.com/ ?SriHari200
Boost Your Life with Subliminal Messages �" For Free!
The US Government tried to ban them on TV and radio back in 1974. They were once arguably used to boost sales of popcorn in movie theaters by almost 60%. And today, they’re the subject of numerous Derren Brown-style “mind” shows airing throughout the globe. I’m talking, of course, about subliminal messages. However despite all the media hype, subliminal messages aren’t just used by advertising moguls trying to get us to buy another can of coke. They can also be employed to make serious and lasting change in our own lives. In this short article, I’m going to share a method you can use to get subliminal messages working for you�"starting tonight! But before we begin, let’s ask ourselves: what exactly are subliminal messages? Subliminal is defined as “below the threshold of consciousness”. Subliminal messaging refers to the act of sending messages direct to the powerful subconscious mind, the part of your brain that controls everything from memory to body temperature to providing your conscious mind with its core traits. Subliminals really hit the headlines back in the 70’s, when advertisers began inserting messages into commercials. The messages were simply 100-millisecond flashes, and nobody officially “saw” them. Yet sales mysteriously rocketed. Even Hollywood got in on the act. Alfred Hitchcock planted his own subliminals inside the movie “Psycho”! These suggestions were having so much impact, that the US Government almost banned subliminals back in the mid-70’s �" and UK, Australian and Canadian governments actually did ban the technology. Yet by this time, the news was out �" and individuals were beginning to realize the potential of subliminals as a revolutionary self-help tool. The idea of sending self-improvement affirmations direct to the subconscious mind was suddenly open to everyone. But how? There are two primary ways you can actually “send” subliminal messages. Visually, such as using the latest Subliminal Power software program (www.subliminal-power.com) to flash messages around your computer screen as you work. Or, less effectively, using sound, such as with the subliminal CDs you can order online at sites such as Subliminal CDs (www.subliminal-cds.com). Yet if your budget is low, there’s an even cheaper way to get the power of subliminal messaging working for you! Here’s how. Begin by identifying a couple of core goals you’d like to concentrate on in your life right now. For example, you may wish to learn faster or quit smoking. Then, write that goal down as a simple, short, positive affirmation. For example, “I am a quick learner” or “I am ready to quit smoking”. Other examples include “I invest wisely”, “My reading speed increases every day”, or “I am now more confident”. Be careful: do not use negative terms, such as “Not” or “Don’t” in your message. The subconscious does not understand such words in context and would read “I don’t gain weight” as “I gain weight”. You have been warned. Now write your affirmation, clearly and in thick black marker pen, onto a sheet of white cardboard. Create three-or-so cards, each with affirmations focusing on your core theme, and store them next to your bed with a flashlight. Next comes the unsociable part! We’re going to catch your mind in a highly receptive state, by waking it up in the middle of the night, when the door to your subconscious is wide open. Set your alarm clock for 3am, then go to sleep as normal. As soon as you hear the ring, turn off the alarm and�"almost instinctively�"pick up the affirmation cards and your flashlight. The room should be pitch black. Next, flick the flashlight on and off very quickly a dozen times over each affirmation card. While doing this, stare at the cards. Do not consciously try to make out the words. These subliminal messages are for the subconscious. When you’re done, simply turn off the flashlight, put down the cards and return to sleep. It will take just two minutes of your time and I guarantee you’ll fall straight back into deep and restful slumber. That’s it: you’ve just “sent” a bundle of subliminal messages straight to your subconscious. What follows is exciting! After the first few nights of using this technique, most individuals report problem-solving dreams that assist in their goals or influence their decisions. Just a week later and practically all participants note a serious movement toward their core goal. Their leaning speed improves dramatically. Their nicotine addiction is cut in half. As the change comes from within, it isn’t always obvious. Yet a few weeks down the line, most individuals sit back and realize just how far they’ve progressed without consciously realizing it. Soon, your goals have been achieved... the messages worked. When ready, you can move onto your next set of goals by simply writing out a new set of affirmation cards. It’s a very simple system, yet remains highly powerful and terribly underused. Most people reading this article won’t try this straightforward experiment. Maybe they just don’t believe it will work, or maybe they view it as being altogether too much hassle. It’s inconvenient, certainly�"perhaps not as user-friendly as a piece of modern subliminal software. But you think it doesn’t work? Then try it for a week, and see for yourself. Anthony Robbins, Tiger Woods, Derren Brown, New Scientist magazine, even the U.S. Government all know the power behind subliminal messaging. And if you don’t, maybe it’s about time you caught up.
Bradley Thompson is a well-known mind guru, Subliminal Messages & Subliminal Learning expert, and commissioner of the critically-acclaimed Subliminal Power software at http://www.subliminal-power.com/ as used by Olympic athlete winners. Bradley is also the creator of self-empowerment tools such as Subliminal-Studio, Subliminal-CDs.com, Instant Hypnosis Downloads, and Binaural Beats. You can find his homepage online at http://www.selfhelpstreet.com/
Intelligent Optimism Wins In Today's World
The reality of today's world seems to leave little room for optimism. Almost every news story can lead because it does bleed. We hear of critical food shortages in Africa, daily gang deaths on city streets, the profiteering from child pornography, and the climatic disasters prompted by global warming. Health care costs move up faster than a hummingbird in flight and more children now spout profanities as a regular part of speech. With such negativity, no wonder a 2004 U.S. government survey found that depression afflicts one in 10 adults 14 days a month or more.
You probably get depressed just reading the opening paragraph. But wait! There is hope. Not the cock-eyed optimism that became fodder for a song from the musical South Pacific, but rather what psychologists in France are calling "intelligent optimism." Such optimism does not deny the reality of today's world, but rather seeks to LEARN how to fashion a life amid such difficulties. Martin Seligman, the psychologist who had made optimism and happiness his life's work, would agree with the French: optimism can be taught.
Consider these basic steps:
(1) Focus on what you can control. Don't get carried away by circumstances you cannot change. You might not change global warming but you can control your energy consumption. You can't stop the downsizing in your company but you can arm yourself with marketable skills.
(2) Reframe the event so that you are not a victim. There is always another way to view a situation. The flight cancellation that caused me to miss (and forfeit) a major engagement was not "planned" to "get" me. It just was. My choice is to figure out what I can do to help the current client and what I will put in the place of the cancelled work.
(3) Think "enough". When we concentrate on what we don't have, we miss all the many things we do have. The truth of the matter is that if you are reading this article, you do have enough computer power. You do have enough intelligence. You do have enough time.
(4) Cultivate optimistic responses. Like a farmer tending a field, optimism will never grow unless it is watered, fed, weeded and nourished. We all have days in which negativity can take over. And, sometimes, that is a WISE response because it keeps us grounded in reality. Just make sure it is reality and not the imagination making extraordinary leaps into conjecture. Weed out that conjecture. Ask what you can DO to see a result that gives you a sense of power. If we don't cultivate such intelligent optimism, be aware of reality and willing to find options, then we might do what Alexander Graham Bell warned. "Stare so long at the closed door we fail to see the one that is opening."
(5) Remember the power of generations. Children of depressed parents are more prone to depression. Children of optimists are more prone to be optimists. What do you choose to pass along? Even if your parents were negative, you can break the cycle with stopping, freeze-framing a situation, listening to the negative self talk, and then literally giving yourself a different message. Yes, this takes practice but you can make it a habit if you work it over time.
Ultimately, intelligent optimists understand that change and chaos are given. They know that "this too shall pass". In the meantime, they CHOOSE to take whatever action they can within their own sphere of influence and then settle back. It is enough.
(c) 2005, McDargh Communications. Publication rights granted to all venues so long as article and by-line are reprinted intact and all links are made live.
Named by Executive Excellence Magazine as one of the top 100 thought leaders in business, Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE authored one of the first books on work/life balance. Numerous books and articles later, Eileen serves the meetings industry as a popular international keynoter and on the Board of Directors of the National Speakers Association. You can find products and services offered by Eileen at http://www.EileenMcDargh.com
Control Your Fear Before It Will Control You!
"Fear Factor" has been one of my favorite TV shows. It highlights the courage of the participants to engage in the most fearsome and disgusting acts.
Most of the contestants are willing to sacrifice their dignity for the sake of the prize money. So what does that imply?
It implies that with the proper mindset, determination, and will power, you can conquer your fear.
Everyone has some sort of fear. It may be brought about by any one or more of the following reasons.
1) by a traumatic past incident (like being bitten by a dog)
2) by the influence of other people
3) by their own negative way of thinking
But are you going to let fear take over your life? Will you remain a hostage of your fear forever?
You must take the necessary steps to overcome your fright. It's all in the mind.
Do you envy other people when you see them enjoying wild rides, and you're just stuck in a corner because you're too terrified to give it a try?
My suggestion is to face your fear head-on. Imagine yourself enjoying the experience instead of exaggerating the things that make you worry. (Unless of course you
have health problems, then taking wild rides may not be a good idea).
Do you want to be a doctor but you're afraid that your intellect can't handle the pressure or you're worried about financial insecurity?
Well here's the good news. If you're really determined to achieve your deepest desires, a powerful force will enable you to reach them amidst every obstacle that comes in the way. I'm not kidding.
Someone or something will always be there to help you attain your goals. Just have faith in your abilities. Your will power have the utmost capacity to accomplish anything with the proper mindset.
You could use visualization to help you in defeating any kind of fear.
Are you afraid of heights? Then imagine yourself being on top of a mountain, overseeing the magnificent sights. Enjoy and feel the moment. Take away all worries and anxieties.
Then just do it! Face it head on! Go to the top of a building and savor the great feeling of being able to face your fear.
This applies to whatever thing that triggers your fear factor. Just imagine being able to defeat it, then confront it with the definite belief that you have the capacity to do everything you want if you just put your
mind to it.
Face the thing you fear the most and you'll never have to fear anything again in your life.
Are you sick and tired of being "empty" inside and out? Worry no more! At http://www.depression-self-esteem-stress-management.com you?ll find free and reliable information that gives you the straight facts and solutions to beat depression and fears.
Men's Products
Like women, men are also fond of different men products. Men are also concerned about their physical beauties. Just like a woman, a man can also get different kinds of men's products right from head to the toes. As compared to women, men's scalp appears to be oilier. So as far as possible there is a need to use hair products like shampoos and conditioner although they have short hairs. Thus the use of hair products for men will definitely prevent dandruff and prevent the scalp from drying. But it is essential to choose the right shampoos and conditioner so as to give the more softener look to hair. Even there are many facial products for men. Facial products are useful to reduce the oiliness of the face that gives smoother and soothing skin layer. Facial products include products like shaving creams, facial foams, facial scrubs and toner, etc. Such products help to reduce or eliminate facial oils and dirt. Beauty products for men consist of lotions, perfumes, sprays and deodorants. Such products are very much essential to give a pleasing personality to a man. It is necessary that men should apply deodorants every day after bath. In order to add more fresh feeling, perfumes and sprays are applied. Men often find it difficult to get men products as they may lack knowledge of such products or they may not have so much of time to purchase the products of their necessity. So to scope with this problem there are many websites and articles that provides knowledge and availability of products for men. Within few minutes one can get best products for men. Such online services provides products like bald men products, men skin care products, men hair styling products, best shaving products for men, men grooming products, weight loss products for men, men styling products, etc. With all the above mentioned products, online services also deal in many upcoming new men's products.
Men's Products
I am Charmed, and You?
Possessing a charming way will open many doors. The latent charm lurking within you is your secret and hidden away gold mine. Your charm is like a pearl inside the oyster, and once it is discovered and polished can highlight and greatly enrich your personality and success. Charm is that intangible quality within you, that when uncovered and freed from suffocating baggage, can add a subtle power to your presence that is irresistibly pleasing. The influence of this charm will attract, calm, assuage, placate and delight anyone with whom you come into contact. The ability to win over and influence people is in direct proportion to the charm you are able to summon up and demonstrate. Charm can be developed like every other quality or attribute of the mind by adopting and practicing some basic rules. Adaptation, the art of agreeing with another person for the sake of amicability is lesson one. Finding common ground through genuine curiosity lowers defenses and paves the way for further exploration. Adaptation is an acknowledgment of another’s ‘right to be’ right or wrong. As Voltaire said, "I do not agree with a word you say but I shall defend to the death your right to say it." The goal is to charm not to reform. The primary rule is for you to be yourself. Any kind of physical makeover, including that phoney smile, won’t do the trick. Affectations and pretense, even a well rehearsed choreography, is swift and certain death to charm. It is easy enough to attract and get attention by artifice, but to influence anyone beyond surface pleasantries, you must possess the power of charm within. A smile may win a first look, but it takes the conscious power of charm to obtain results. Authenticity is genuine and indisputable, easily picked up by others as the real thing, where pretense is usually unmasked. By practicing the techniques of charm from within, you can put your prospect or antagonist at ease and even inspire them to do your bidding. Projecting charm requires give and take. The first technique is to listen. You must be an attentive listener interested in hearing what the other person has to say, which also means paying close attention and really comprehending what they have to say and where they are coming from in saying it. The second fundamental is to always be humble, gentle and polite. By adopting these traits you will project a gracious and friendly manner which communicates the attitude that you are both likeable and approachable. Treat all people that you meet as potential friends. By displaying an open and positive attitude, and making others feel that your own life was incomplete before having met them, empowers them, and in turn they will become endeared to you. Interest, kindness, and humbleness are a major part of being charming. Giving praise is another. Praise is like a rare gemstone which derives its worth from its scarcity. Praise is one of the greatest motivating forces there is, and when sincerely applied can work wonders. Praise a dog and he is your friend. Praise children and they will glow with joy. Praise your ability with gratitude and you increase the flow of intelligence into your endeavors. Positive praise feelingly applied is an active multiplier. Praise what you have and more will be available to you. Praise is a positive expression of appreciation. In the case of others, it gives hearty and warm approval and breaks down barriers. If anyone you meet deserves your approbation, by all means give it, and in so doing you enhance their appreciation of your own qualities, a win win situation powered by charm. The third element of charm is tolerance. Life is a compromise, and to realize and accept this adds to ones peace of mind and enjoyment. People are entitled to their own opinion, and possessing tolerance allows respect for diverse opinions, without necessarily believing or sharing them. Respect for another’s point of view will always enlarge your own world view. By exercising tolerance you dispel prejudice and vanity. It is the essential quality necessary to establish the true relationship between divergent situations on an impersonal basis. By becoming tolerant you learn not to take the world and the events and people in it too seriously, yourself included, thus enabling your sense of humor to expand. A true and easy smile and the ability to have a good laugh will relax you, and in so doing, aid you in peace of mind and efficiency. Tolerance and a good sense of humor are indeed additional gems to have in your crown of charm. Charm is the art of pleasing. You need to be poised along with possessing the ability to act natural. Your ability to be pleasingly spontaneous and to act natural is a reflection of your habits. If these habits have been formed through the proper training of grace, poise and cleanliness, then they add to your charm. Negative habits of sloth, crudeness and loutishness diminishes. Charm refines the essence of your personality and permits the radiant beauty of your real being to shine through. Possessing charm will greatly augment your effectiveness. It makes it possible for you to always present yourself in the most favorable light. Through the glow of charm you will feel healthier and those worry lines will soon be replaced by your infectious smile. So train and equip yourself in the art and power of charm. It will enrich your presence and add immeasurably to your personal satisfaction and happiness.
Henry Ramsey is a writer and renewable energy systems specialist who rides an electric bicycle. He is the innovator of New Paradigm Internet Marketing sites like http://www.Rollingems.com, www.MyEbikes.com and www.HappyThoughtLifestyles.com
Becoming A Student Of Life
One of the habits that has served me well throughout my life is keeping the mind-set of a student. I've always had an insatiable curiosity about a wide variety of topics, and I'm usually reading several books during the same time period. I've read about some really fascinating things, like quantum physics, and some really cheesy things, like romance novels. Truth be told, I've enjoyed them all!
It occurred to me the other day that it doesn't matter what I'm learning about, as long as I'm consistently learning. I'm like a sponge that gets dry and shriveled if I don't absorb something on a regular basis. My life then becomes boring and stagnant, and I feel sluggish and uninspired.
If this describes your life right now, you can turn it around pretty easily. Adopt the attitude of a student, and watch how it infuses you with joy, excitement, and motivation.
Being a student of life isn't just about reading books and learning as much as you can on various subjects. That can certainly be part of it, but it's more about the way you see the world around you and the way you handle your daily experiences.
Here are five tips to help you become a student of life:
1) Develop Awareness. - Most of us spend our days rushing blindly from one activity to another without ever noticing our surroundings. If we can instead slow down a little bit and just look around us, we'd SEE so much more in life. Take time to notice that beautiful sunset on the drive home. Step outside during the day and feel the sunshine on your face, and indulge in some deep, cleansing breaths. Become aware of your own spiritual self, and your connection to all living things. Give yourself the gift of just being, noticing, and breathing.
2) Keep an Open Mind. - Rather than assuming you know all about something already, approach each situation with an attitude of curiosity. Question everything. Explore new ideas, thoughts, and subjects you've always wanted to learn about. This goes for the people around you too. Don't assume you know what they're all about based on their appearance or some preconceived notion. Ask questions, get to know them better. Be willing to release any judgments you may have, and instead seek truth.
3) Keep an Open Heart. - Express deep gratitude for your life, and all of the experiences you have - even the not so pleasant ones. Be willing to be vulnerable in your connections with others, and allow yourself to feel. Too often we are afraid of our emotions and try to numb them or run away from them. Instead, let your emotions be your teachers. Listen to them, and honor them. They will teach you a lot about yourself.
4) Look for the Lesson. - In every experience, ask yourself, "What can I learn from this?" Sometimes the lesson is obvious, and sometimes you'll have to search for it. With every lesson, allow it to become a part of you and make you a better, stronger, happier person. Though we all make mistakes and stumble, the goal is to make new mistakes, rather than repeating the same ones over and over again. As long as we are making progress, we're doing great! Use your own awareness to overcome challenges and keep moving forward.
5) Enjoy the Journey. - Most of us take life so seriously! Yes, it does have its serious moments. But overall this is supposed to be a pleasant experience, and we can make it that way by simply choosing to. Don't worry so much about whether you're making as much progress as you should, and don't get frustrated when things don't always work out as planned. Instead take a lighter attitude and understand that it's all just a journey and the point is to relax and enjoy.
Imagine that you're a beautiful white sponge, and you come across these brilliant pools of colored liquid. There's a red pool of passion, a pink pool of love, a yellow pool of knowledge, a green pool of gratitude, and a purple pool of fun. Go ahead and dip your sponge toe into each of these pools, and your color will begin to change. Rather than being a plain white sponge, you are now a beautiful, multi-colored sponge, filled with passion, love, knowledge, gratitude, and fun.
Unfortunately, there are also a few pools of black, brackish stuff like negative self-talk, fear, regrets, etc. If you accidentally absorb some of this and it begins to taint your colors, don't worry about it too much. Just focus on revisiting the pretty, colorful pools and absorbing more good stuff. It will dilute the negative stuff, and eventually get rid of it all together. :-)
Wendy Betterini is a freelance writer who strives to motivate, uplift, and inspire you to make your dreams a reality. Visit her website, http://www.WingsForTheHeart.com for more positive thoughts to help you on your journey.
Know How To Overcome Depression
There are times in a person?s life where loneliness and lack of contentment is experienced. Depression is a state where an individual feels bored and sad. This feeling can be disturbing especially when a person seems so low and cannot overcome the obstacles that he is experiencing.
Many have thought that this emotional problem is not that serious to worry about. Studies have proven that this state of depression can be an illness and must be treated. Some depressed people may go to a physician for check up and consultation. It could be more advisable if the person would see a therapist.
Most depression therapists are very good in finding the reason why a person became depressed. The process in which a therapist treats depression is through emotional and psychological approach. On the other hand, a doctor will recommend patients to take anti depressant medicines. There are instances that have happened where a doctor treating a patient for depression was involved in such controversies where improper medications were applied.
An expert for depression would classify a depressed person if he shows some symptoms of significant weight loss, increase in appetite, loss of agility, or weight gain because of excessive eating. Others who are depressed may also encounter problems in sleeping or insomnia, over sleeping, decrease of sexual interest, and the lack of interest in lifestyle activities.
Some indications of depression may also come in a more emotional approach like the feeling of sadness and boredom, feeling of being a useless individual, the feeling of guilt to oneself, the feeling of being undecided to some simple decisions, and the decrease of the ability of the mind to think and concentrate. The most frightening symptoms of depression may come if a person is always thinking of his death or an individual wants to commit suicide.
Here are some ways to deal with depression in a personal approach:
1. A person must force himself to go outside. Do not even bother if the climate is not that good. Try to have a walk outside, read a book, or even try to write a poem. This can be an effective idea to overcome the depression rather than staying on the room alone.
2. It is always better if there are people that will support the person in depression. It is recommended that a person seek for a friend or a companion while he is still in the stage of recovering depression. If the individual is not use to this kind of therapy, the Internet should be a very good resort to find ways how to find ways to treat this kind of illness. It could be a little awkward to find some other people who are experiencing depression, but there is the possibility that there are others out there that can relate.
3. It is advisable for the individual to write what he feels at the moment. If there are no friends to tell what the problems are, he may try writing about the feeling so that the hatred or sadness will subside. Holding the feeling can just add more depression.
4. Meditation can be a good tool to overcome the depression. Deep breathing and good relaxation can relieve anxiety and pressure that may lead to depression.
Depression can be treated if the person realizes that he must also do his part on overcoming the illness. If these recommended ways do not show any development to let go of depression then it should be best if the person seek the help of a doctor or a therapist.
Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides depression resources on www.aboutdepression.info.
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