From Existing, to Surviving, to Living

Saints are sinners who kept on going.  –Robert Louis Stevenson 

It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.  -Albert Einstein 

If you have ever battled depression, sorrow, the blues, discouragement, or as some people call them –  the blahs, you know how difficult it can be to keep getting out of bed every morning and moving forward.  Perhaps the idea of moving forward is a stretch; you’re happy if you can just get moving.  Consider what it is that gets you out of bed every morning: the fear of losing your job, sleeping late gives you a headache, or you look forward to rising up and facing the day with all its limitless possibilities.  This latter motivation is the optimum reason for getting up and tackling the day.  However, I understand that when the blues have settled in, that can appear to be a tall order. 

This is where the thought processes we allow into our minds are so vitally important.  Anyone who battles feelings of unhappiness, sorrow, or depression must resolve to not give up.  I know all too well those terrible feelings that can settle around us when we wake up in the morning. Someone who had battled depression once told me that for years, every morning upon waking, she would relive every mistake she had ever made.  That would indeed be terrible way to live.  In such a case a person is not living, but surviving, and survival mode will only take us so far.  At some point we must shift from existing, to surviving, to living life to the fullest.  And please believe me when I say that it can be done.  Consider these strategies for taking back control of your life, happiness, and peace of mind:

• Have a consultation with your doctor.  Get a complete physical examination, and tell your doctor exactly how you have been feeling.  The causes of your feeling so badly may have a physical basis.  Otherwise, your physician can help you explore some options with anti-depressants, which have worked wonderfully for countless people.
  

• Get involved with some sort of volunteer work.  Anytime we help others in some capacity, the results are feelings of accomplishment and good will.  Try volunteering at the local food bank, hospital, or homeless shelter.  The possibilities for volunteer work are numerous.
  

• Try listening to upbeat, happy music.  The varieties for good music are as diverse as any taste you may have.  Gospel, country, bluegrass, and classical all have songs that are lively, upbeat, and can put a snap in your step.
  

• Consider professional counseling or therapy.  There are numerous qualified therapists and counselors in your community.  Get a trusted friend, your pastor, or doctor to make a referral.  Talking about what you are facing and feeling can have a wonderfully liberating effect. 

• Go to church.  Studies have shown that people who attend religious services report higher levels of happiness than those who do not.  Give it a try.
  

Get connected and stay connected.  The worst approach to sorrow is to shut ourselves off from others.  With God’s help you can rise up and go forward – and find happiness. 

Never give up!