Don't Just Stand There!

Life is about doing things. Doing things is progress whether you are washing clothes or going to night school. It strikes me that people who are depressed want to do the opposite - nothing. They see despair in doing something and choose to lie there depressed. I know people who suffer from depression and I believe a lot of it is self-inflicted. People churn things over in their minds and build a different view of reality over time. If you tell a lie often enough, they say, you'll believe it. That's absolutely true. There are lots of things you can do with your life to make it much more fulfilling. You can have a hobby - remember those? You can spend a lot of time visiting. You can clean your house and see your progress and say: I did that and I'm proud. The greatest thing in life that you can do is to take yourself out of the spotlight and help others. You can teach them, clean their houses, take them to see a movie, take them to the grocery, play catch ... the list is endless. People need interaction with other people. That is how our Creator designed us. Build a front porch, sit on it, and talk to people that pass by. Visit a neighbor. Home theater systems, Internet, video games ... these are the enemy if you are substituting them for life. Chat rooms are destroying lives. There are people - real ones, not virtual - outside your door. Take two depressed people and make them talk about something besides how depressed they are and you will be amazed at the results. Get out there and do the things you hate the most - talk, play, visit, see the outside world. That's your first step.