Medication? ... Or A Mirror?
Posted on September 13, 2011 by Veronica Forsman, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
Do You Know Who You Are?
As many are meeting the day full on, ready to tackle whatever comes their way, full of energy and motivation, happy and content, there are many more still that are stumbling through, blindly going through their day, silently battling a feeling of emptiness, lonliness, a loss of self, of passion for anything and a deep unhappiness that leaves them numb. The question here though, is it depression?
_de·pres·sion noun /diˈpreSHən/ depressions, plural
_1.Severe despondency and dejection, typically felt over a period of time and accompanied by feelings of hopelessness and inadequacy
2.A condition of mental disturbance characterized by such feelings to a greater degree than seems warranted by the external circumstances, typically with lack of energy and difficulty in maintaining concentration or interest in life – clinical depression
Web definition – a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity_
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Many believe that these types of syptoms and more are a cause of depression, a disease many are dibilitated by every day from the stress and anxiety that every day life places on an individual. And depression isn’t fussy. It will take anyone, successful or not, job or not, family or not, marriage or not, friends or not…Depression does not pick and choose. It sneaks up on you when you’re not looking and waits for a catalyst to come along before it pounces on you and leaves you half dead inside. However, consider this…that perhaps, just maybe, it’s not depression at all.
Today, there is more pressure now than ever in life and as I look on social networks that allow others to share their thoughts and feelings in the moment without the accountability of someone seeing the face or emotion behind them, many are asking for more hours in the day, for Friday to come sooner, are looking for new jobs or a job at all, and more than ever, I’m seeing and hearing about all of the ways we are having to wear many hats and masks in each and every day. We are all things to all people. We connect in person less and less, therefore we hide more and more. We laugh off things that actually hurt us, and speak in half truths and boundaries become something of a more of a wish than a rule. We do this and more in order to get through the day, not realizing that we are losing ourselves little by little, more and more, as each moment passes and days pile on by.
One could believe that this is depression, and it may be, as shown in the above definitions given. But there is another aspect to consider here, one that does not require the use of a drug to numb and squash it.
It’s a simple question…Do You Know Who You Are? As I ask this question again and again, more and more are saying NO…a resounding NO! I don’t know about you, but this scares me. And it makes me sad. But it doesn’t surprise me. However, it can be corrected and can hugely change the direction your life is going.
While we shift and change daily, the one key component here is that we need to be willing to meet ourselves each day. And in doing this, we honor ourselves in a way that we would hope others would do as well. Think about it like this: Try to imagine that in every conversation, every meeting you have, the person or persons you are speaking with never look you in the eye. They don’t listen to you. You don’t seem to matter. You’re dismissed. How’s that workin’ for ya? In essence, this is what you are doing to you. It’s actually quite disrespectful, wouldn’t you say? And it is absolutely dishonoring you. Simply start there. Meet yourself each day. Make the decision each and every day to STOP for a moment and SEE yourself. Talk to you. What do you want today? Just today? What one thing can you do for yourself today that if you stopped for even 15 minutes, could put back into you in a small but powerful way? Think about the things that make you tick. What do you value in your life? What are your non-negotiables? Just pick one thing and start there. And slowly, maybe not right away, you’ll begin to see a shift in the level of stress and anxiety that has been overtaking you up to this point. The tables will turn and YOU will be in control of your life once again.
Seem too simple? Not sure where to start? Having a personal life coach can help you make this happen and support you in ways you never imagined. Connect with me today for a FREE discovery session and let’s get back the life you are meant to live. YOURS.
