Today as I sit here and think about Flag Day, l also think of the past few weeks and the talk of suicide. Everywhere people are talking about depression which makes me want to work even harder on my physical health and mental well-being more now than ever before.
So yes, I am a very proud American, but I do have to reflect on the past few years. Now that I have been back in the US, I can’t understand why we are so divided at this point. I had hoped that we had evolved, but sadly this is not the case. It is possible that all of this negative information that is being thrown around out there in the universe could be having a direct effect on the human psyche. Too much information and most of it is tragic that it is difficult for one person to process.
I struggled with depression during my childhood, my teen years and even throughout my adult life, but I’ve always had this sincere desire to keep going because, in reality, I didn’t want to miss out on anything. The journey is too exciting and short, so I plan to stick around as long as I can. But I do see where one can feel hopeless, and some may even be tired and worn out over it all.
I find myself exhausted at times from the constant flow of bad news. But then I also wonder how will I hold up while dealing with my aches and pains from getting older or dealing with life’s severe hardships within my own life. I have to remind myself of staying in the moment continually, and then I feel joy. That is how I find my zen moments, which can be many times throughout the day but it works. And it works because it then forces me to have gratitude which for me is the root of happiness.
Listening to the stories on TV and social media, it is evident that it is a difficult time for everyone and I’m no different than the next person. Each person in my family has struggled with some form of depression. I find it incredibly ignorant for people to go on and on about how they cannot believe that someone who is famous and has lots of money has struggled with depression. This continuous behavior shows me that the human race as a whole has so much more to learn. I honestly believe we have been in denial for many years now. Somehow we need to get it together and make a change sooner rather than later since time is of the essence at this point.
It seems as if there are so many people who are angry and they are saying such vicious words to one another. Whenever I have the time to read through the threads, I find negative comments and people quarreling over anything these days. It always seems to come down to people trying to prove they are right and the other person is wrong. It is such a waste of precious energy and time for me personally, and I do my best to avoid them.
I am an open-minded person who has traveled a lot, and I have experienced many things, but it saddens me that it is still taking so long for people to come together. However; if we all just start to work together starting now and be there for one another here in this country, we can make huge strides. It only takes a few simple steps and the first one being, to take care of our physical and mental health first.
As far as my health is concerned, that is my number one priority these days. I get plenty of sleep, drink lots of water, take my vitamins and try to remain positive. I laugh a lot, and I am active every day. I look around, and I connect with nature.
I have my hands in a few different creative projects and learning a little each day. I worked hard on simplifying my life as much as I possibly can since I sold my business back in 2014. I remember thinking and looking around at all the things I had acquired over the years and how they had become more of a source of stress and a burden for me at that time in my life. Living simple is an accomplishment for me, and it is still, of course, a work in progress.
In addition to those changes, I listen, I observe, and I am present. I try to stay focused and experience all that is around me at that moment whether I am out of my comfort zone or in a familiar place. Having a clear compassionate and observant mind cannot be possible if I do not get plenty of rest, eat well and exercise. Sometimes I need more, and other times maybe a little less, but I continue to move each day. I know of a few people who can go without sleep, but that will most likely catch up to them if it has not already.
So what I am getting at with all of this, is that I don’t believe that anyone can be of any benefit to others without first committing to nurture oneself first. If each of us can first do this, then maybe we can all come from a place of peace and gratitude without flipping that switch into a mad, uncommunicative and vulnerable person.
But we must achieve a sense of peace within ourselves first and foremost. If that happens in each and every one of us, then we may have a chance. But for now, it just seems there is no end to the madness. So I just keep doing what I can do and hope that things will drastically change for the better before it too late.
Here is an article I found that explains it perfectly by an expert on this topic. There is a lot of useful information here
Cynthia A. Schaub