Heal Yourself with Gratitude

Depression is similar to being stuck in a tar-pit. At first you fight like no other to get out, you may move a few inches before eventually getting physically exhausted, then you look around and see how far you moved for how much energy you put in and you get mentally exhausted. Before you know it you have completely given up, allowed yourself to be slowly devoured by this faceless beast. 

I've been there, most of us have been there, down the bottomless hole that completely annihilates your power, your inspiration, your love, your joy for life. You know it's all there, somewhere, because you have experienced it before- but depression has a way of making you feel you are chained to a wall and the water bowl is about 3" out of reach. 

So how do you fix the problem? Well first it is important to understand the different between "Cure" and "Heal." Curing insinuates a relief of the symptoms of the condition whereas healing means a return to health. Curing cuts a weed off at the base so that you don't see it anymore, healing pulls it out from the roots so that is it gone without the ability to grow back (unless you plant seeds- but that is a whole other blog). Healing is the key- the return to health, the return to your natural state of being which is to say 100% love, joy, wisdom, power and abundance. From an energetic standpoint Healing is synonymous with Love. Love is the ability to accept who you are and where you are right now, understanding that though it may not be where you want to be or who you want to be, it is still you and you must love you if you ever want to feel peace. That being said, energetically, healing is the ability to find peace and acceptance of exactly where you are right now because you are never actually broken, you are always whole, it's just that the whole of you might not be in a good space right now. When you are able to accept where you are and who you are in this space then you can actually start dealing with the problem that is putting you in the bad space in the first place. You are not depression, sadness, anxiety and all of that negative energy, that negative energy is within you and needs to be out. So stop fighting yourself and start fighting the negative energy that is within you.

My very dear friend recently told me about her stint with depression. When she was lurking in the darker, deeper spaces of this depression she went to lunch with her mother who promptly told her- in a not-so-gentle way that only mothers can get away with- that depression is a lack of gratitude. It's simple. It's harsh. It's true. Nothing is worse than being depressed and being told that you are wrong, BUT, if you are able to get out of your way for about 5 seconds you can see the power behind this statement. YOU have the power to heal yourself and it's as simple as being thankful.

Gratitude is the process of acknowledging all that you have, whilst Depression is looking around and seeing absolutely nothing. You cannot experience both gratitude and depression at the same time- it's impossible to see all that you have while feeling like you have absolutely nothing. What an incredible tool that is! Likewise, gratitude cultivates love. The more you see all that you have, all the beauty around you (and within you), the easier it is to find peace and acceptance for who you are and where you are right now. The beautiful thing is, no matter how awful of a day you have had you can always think of things to be grateful for. Every day, doesn't matter when, but every single day think of 5 things that you are grateful for. Something magical happens- 
First, it's hard not to suddenly think of 10 or 20 things that you are grateful for
Second, you become aware that you are surrounded by an incredible life that has so much to offer
Third, a sunny day makes a world of difference!
Fourth, it's almost impossible not to smile.

Don't wait until you are sad or depressed, start now. The simplicity of gratitude exercises not only relieves depression, but it also heightens joy. Basically, with gratitude life only gets better. Do yourself the favor, do the whole world a favor, practice gratitude, now and every day.

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