Reflections of a Survivior

Once in a while I feel very sad and get depressed; no big deal—everybody get depressed once in a while!

The trigger for the depression could anyone of the myriad reasons that I have—body pain, inability to do what I want to, something that I did, something that I didn’t do, something that I should have done, an opportunity missed, an opportunity that I should have missed, a harsh word spoken, a harsh word that was addressed to me, a deadline missed, time wasted, something that I forgot, something that I should have failed to remember, and so on.

Once I am in the depressive mood, I try to get out it as soon as possible; but it is not always easy. My depression fighting techniques include watching a humorous or action packed movie, reading thrillers, listening to music, watching the plants and flowers in our garden, writing about the cause of depression, etc.

Most of the time they work. But, there are times none of these techniques work and I will be in a depressed mood making the life difficult for everyone in the house.

The most effective way to fight depression is to think about your blessings. We don’t realize how fortunate we are. We complain and whine about the smallest inconvenience, slightest discomfort, or minutest annoyance. We say life is not fair. We become depressed and think why only we have to strive hard and struggle to get something done.

But if we look around, we will find people who really struggle, toil and labor to make a living. We will find people without homes, food, clothes, medical care, etc. For these people everyday is a battle for survival and every meal has to be earned breaking their backs. If they don’t work a day, they and their families won’t eat. They don’t have the luxury of vacations or holidays.

Once we look around us, we will realize how fortunate we are. How small are our problems compared to many others? We will realize that we don’t have any right to complain, feel sad, or get depressed.

So the next time when you get depressed or feel bad, think about the countless people who are less fortunate than you. Then you won’t feel so bad; that is something I can guarantee.

Mathew had tagged me in August 2008, but I was out of commission, out of the blogosphere and hence didn’t even know I had been tagged. Now, while I was catching up with the unread posts, I found the tag. It is a quotations tag, and I love quotes. So with an apology to Mathew being late, I am posting my favorite quotes.

1.
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings – nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!
(Rudyard Kipling in If)

2.
What though the radiance which was once so bright
Be now for ever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;
(William Wordsworth in Ode on Intimations of Immortality)

3.
My strength is as the strength of ten,
Because my heart is pure.
(Lord Alfred Tennyson in Sir Galahad)

4.
When you consider the opportunity and power He had to really do a job, and then look at the stupid, ugly little mess He made of it instead, His sheer incompetence is almost staggering.
(Joseph Heller in Catch-22)

5.
You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.
(Paulo Coelho)

6.
You learn most, when you play against an opponent who can beat you.
(Richard Bach in Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah)

7.
Never give in–never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.
(Sir Winston Churchill, in his Speech at Harrow School in1941)

8.
Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.
(Robert Brault)