5 Things to Do to Stop Choosing Depression
We have divine potential and powerful possibilities. But in the darkest of days, it is sometimes hard to remember who we are and why we’re here. The subject of severe depression and suicide has hit my Facebook timeline three times in two days. My heart is heavy for those who are either struggling or who have already succumbed to what may have seemed “the only way out.” To these people and their families, I offer my prayers, my heartfelt love, and understanding.
Sometimes when the sun goes down, when clouds start to gather, when life gets heavy and seemingly unbearable, when the storm finally becomes a tsunami, and when we allow ourselves to be washed downstream into that pit of hopelessness, life doesn’t seem worth it. Sometimes taking one more breath in the agony of it all seems impossible--even just…too much! Discouragement has a way of tricking us into living in a place within ourselves that we otherwise would want to leave.
Depression is real! It is ugly! It is so painful, and at times, seemingly unendurable. I have been there. I am very familiar with those feelings, those thoughts, that hopeless pull to “just give up.” Not too many years ago life hit me smack dab in the face. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t feel. I couldn’t eat. I locked myself in my room, closed the drapes, and pulled the covers over my head. I allowed that enticing inner voice to seduce me into wallowing, to stay stuck, to not even try. Over and over, I justified my horrible situation and chose to give power to the bombardment of negative thoughts. I was not even aware that I was choosing to allow my thinking patterns to hold me captive and take me down into that deep, dark hole of depression!
I have learned—and truly believe—that the first step toward giving up is giving in to that initial negative, discouraging thought. That one thought–-if believed, accepted, and nourished—will feed another and another, and yet another, and before we know it, those negative thinking patterns spin out of control on a racing hamster wheel until despair and hopelessness completely take over. What I learned is, that climbing out of the well of despair is much harder than fortifying and building the muscles that prevent such a catastrophic emotional and mental decline in the first place!
Life is not always easy. We are here in part to experience joy and pain and to learn the lessons that accompany success and failure. We are here to grow, to stretch, to become all we can be. Opposition is a normal part of life—and though adversity comes with different labels, opposition serves a great purpose in our becoming! Without opposition, a bird would die before emerging from its egg and spreading its wings; without opposition, no one would have the muscles to stand; without opposition, as a butterfly struggles to free itself from its cocoon, it would be weak and feeble, unable to fly; without opposition and friction, a violin would make no music. There will always be challenges, roadblocks, always adversity. No one is exempt; not the wealthy, not the famous, not even the most successful. But a kite rises against the wind—not with it.
Successful people have one quality they have mastered to rise above. To weather the storms, to become their best selves… they manage their thoughts!
If depression is chronic, one may need to seek medical help. If discouragement is situational, and if we have mastered the skills and use the tools to absolutely stop that first negative thought from manifesting into a full-blown garden of negativity and depression, we can immediately pull those noxious weeds and direct that inner voice to a more productive garden plot. The soil is rich and very promising with thoughts like, “I am capable; I may not know the answer this moment, but I am strong and determined and I will find a way to endure; I will find an answer to overcome. I will open the drapes, let the sunshine in, and I will CHOOSE to be grateful, be mindful, and be productive in my self-care.”
Quantum physics suggests that thoughts have power; they influence our subconscious mind—and the universe—and become REAL forces! The powers at be will “go to work” to make our dominant thoughts--positive or negative--become our reality!
It has been said that “You are what you eat.” Similarly, quantum physics has proven just as Earl Nightengale said, “We become what we think.”
5 THINGS TO DO TO STOP CHOOSING DEPRESSION
STOP A NEGATIVE THOUGHT right in its tracks before it takes root! Don’t let it percolate. PRACTICE!
REPLACE IT with a positive thought! The more you practice deliberately replacing that negative thought, the easier it will become.
MAKE POSITIVE THOUGHTS YOUR DOMINANT THOUGHTS. The more you think about what you want VS what you fear, the easier it will become.
TRAIN YOUR BRAIN to be a powerful and wholesome navigator. When you do, relationships become more stable and loving, your business acumen increases, your ability to manage money grows stronger, and your life becomes less chaotic and more fulfilled. In essence….you become what you think about! PRACTICE!
PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE! Your mind is a great trickster. It will fight with you to choose to be lazy, choose to feed negativity, and choose to procrastinate. Your trickster mind will justify how you feel, what you think, and how you react—even when it convinces you to be depressed! It will sabotage your “justification” to feel blue or lonely or discouraged, making you believe you have little power over your response to life’s current challenges. It will trick you into believing that what you are thinking and feeling is “just a normal reaction” to current trauma.
If you take control of what you think and discipline your mind to stay on a positive course, your mind will lead you to beautiful destinations. Negative thinking can take you down into that deep, dark pit of depression! BUT—YOU CAN TRAIN YOUR BRAIN NOT TO GO THERE!
When you teach your brain to control thinking patterns and to develop, strengthen, and navigate positive thoughts, your dominant thoughts LEAD you to the highest, most glorious mountain tops. YOU—ONLY YOU—have the power to decide how high you climb, or how far you fall.
WHAT YOU THINK IS A CHOICE. If you want a healthy life, think healthy thoughts!
NOTE: If you are thinking suicidal thoughts or have feelings of giving up, seek medical help immediately. There is no shame in reaching out to someone who can reach down and pull you up! Life is truly a team effort! We need each other! There are caring individuals to help you. Call your medical doctor or the SUICIDE HOTLINE: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline phone number is 1-800-273-8255. NEVER GIVE UP! YOU ARE IMPORTANT!
