It is said that it is normal to be depressed once in a while. Beyond the clinical reasons for depression, I have come to see that non-clinical depression has a value in our personal evolution. Every emotion that we experience is important because it is an indicator of our state of being.
The state of depression obviously indicates that we are far from what would make us happy, and have strayed far from our true path. So it begs the question: What is depression and why do we experience it?
Depression is actually resistance in disguise.
What are you resisting? Reality! It is said that nervous breakdowns are triggered by experiencing a radically different reality to the one that was expected. You are resisting that you need to make a change. Life isn’t turning out to be what you expected, and now you see the difference between what you want and what is. Reality is staring you in the face and it isn’t pretty. You can no longer fool yourself that you are right and everyone else is wrong. No, you are wrong, and now you can see it.
Count yourself as one of the fortunate few.
You might actually count yourself fortunate to be experiencing the more extreme pain of depression; many people put up with years and years of dull anxiety because it is familiar. The pain that comes with depression is severe enough to force us to search for a better life.
Depression precedes a breakthrough.
Like a rainstorm that precedes the sunlight, the tension that you feel is a realization trying to break through. The realization signals the beginning of the wonderful new life that is waiting for you to wake up. You just have to let go of your past ideas, and surrender to what is trying to come into your life. What is to come is much, much better than you can currently imagine.
Depression allows us to experience faith.
The basis of faith is knowing that what is happening is far beyond what our limited minds can currently see.
Here is a good thing to do when you are depressed:
Allow yourself to get really, really simple.
To stop the spiraling thoughts, just stop your mind by being totally in your body. Allow yourself to feel everything in the moment: The sun shining on your skin, water on your hands, the air in your throat, the ground below your feet. If you cannot stop your thoughts, then allow yourself to totally feel your emotions. Respect the thoughts and emotions that you are now leaving behind, by seeing how they once served you but can no longer do so. It is great to allow yourself this, and it is the beginning of a true healing.
You are evolving out of your past: you are like the first creature to come out of the sea and crawl upon the land. It is scary to you, and therein lies its real value. Change is never comfortable, if it is, it is not change. You cannot change sitting in your old familiar armchair. No, you have to go out on the limb, climb a mountain, jump off a cliff, and stare death in the face. Well perhaps not actually stare death in the face, but to the ego, change is like a death. We have to want a better life badly enough to risk our current life in order to have the prize at the end.
My coaching is based upon the following ideas:
– Life is meant to be joyous, fun, and easy.
– We make it unnecessarily difficult because we are emotionally attached to our thoughts and to our past.
– We are all creating our lives with our thoughts and beliefs. Why not choose our lives by choosing our thoughts?
– We are all crazy in that we think our thoughts are real, but they are only our thoughts, not reality. This is only human, and it can be realized but not avoided. This is because we have to think about everything in order to perceive anything.
– To change we have to track our habitual thoughts and habits, bring them to the surface, and consciously choose another thought.
– We have to want to change more than we want the comfort of our familiar thoughts and emotions.
– There is no such thing as a negative thought, just thoughts that work for us and thoughts that don’t work for us.
– Emotions can serve as guide.
– Emotions are the catalyst to creating our new lives.
– Life should be lived passionately and fearlessly.
Don’t forget that brain chemistry plays an important part in our perception of reality. I recommend taking the following supplements to help your mood:
Fish oil
Holy Basil
L-Tyrosine
Iodine or Kelp
Remember that your only job in this life is to make yourself happy. We are all innocent children underneath the adult veneer. We all deserve love and happiness. Follow your bliss, and keep the faith that you are on your true path.
– Copyright 2008 Aliyah Marr
