I was asked the other day, by a friend, if I ever got tired of trying to be cheerful and chipper.
It rather made me laugh, actually, because there are many, many days when I am certainly not cheerful.
But I do try to be. As someone who has a tendency to fall into chronic depression and melancholy, I long ago made a choice. I would not just go along with the flow of depression, I would combat it. Now, part of that has been taking medication- though I haven't needed that for a while. Part of that is prayer, a large part actually. Part of that is the support of my loved ones, especially Charles, who has learned that when I say I'm having an emotionally "hard day" to just breathe deep and help me through it. Depression is a hard battle and one that is renewed daily, sometimes multiple times a day.
A huge part of overcoming my depression successfully on most days though is the purposeful attempt to be cheerful, grateful and content. All three of those can be chosen deliberately, and I strive to do so. I look for reasons to be grateful (if I am down, I tell myself to name 10 blessings in my life and by the time I've reached number six or seven I'm usually in a much better frame of mind!).... and then that in turn helps to foster contentment.
I look for reasons to be amused and cheerful; as my husband, parents and friends can attest, it does not take much to amuse me or delight me. A cute joke, a sappy song, a beautiful sunset, a playful cat, jaunty birds at the feeders, a creek in the forest, a new book, the perfect up of tea, the scent of good food cooking, the sight of flowers in bloom all delight or amuse me....really the list goes on and on and on.
This world will give you endless reasons to be upset, angry or disillusioned. We don't have to look far to find sad stories, horrifying events, or bleak circumstances. And it can be easy to dwell on those...but doing so will only poison your soul.
The world around us is also filled with loving people, beautiful nature, art, music and simple pleasures. If you decide to focus on such people, creations and situations that are delightful, thought provoking, and soul enriching you'll find yourself the better for it. Your mood will be brighter, you'll get into a habit of being content, and your outlook on life will be sweeter...as opposed to the bitterness that comes from living in the sludge of anger and cynicism.
Each day can be filled with either a series of blessings or disappointments. You get to choose what you are going to seek out, and what you find and focus on is what will shape your soul. CS Lewis said that each choice we makes determines the type of person we become (I'm paraphrasing here)...and I think whether we choose to view things in a positive or negative light has a huge amount to do with whether or not we end up being a positive or negative person. And I don't know about you, but for me, life is much nicer to go through when one is content, grateful and happy.
Now I am not claiming that my route of dealing with depression will work for everyone; some folks need to remain on medication to help regulate brain chemistry, and some people need counseling. By all means, my friends, get help if you need it.
We all can choose how we want to travel through this life; what kind of person we want to be. Do you want to be negative and bitter? (Because really....life isn't a whole lot of fun that way.) Or do you want to see each day as a gift full of small surprises and delights, with chances to make a difference in the lives of others and be open to wonder, faith and friendship? The tone you set for each day will help shape how the day will go.
If you look for reasons to be grateful, content, amused and delighted...you can find them. But you have to look and you have to cultivate that habit. Is it worth it?
It is for me.
Be blessed, my friends, and may you be a blessing unto others,
--Beth Haynes Butler
It rather made me laugh, actually, because there are many, many days when I am certainly not cheerful.
But I do try to be. As someone who has a tendency to fall into chronic depression and melancholy, I long ago made a choice. I would not just go along with the flow of depression, I would combat it. Now, part of that has been taking medication- though I haven't needed that for a while. Part of that is prayer, a large part actually. Part of that is the support of my loved ones, especially Charles, who has learned that when I say I'm having an emotionally "hard day" to just breathe deep and help me through it. Depression is a hard battle and one that is renewed daily, sometimes multiple times a day.
A huge part of overcoming my depression successfully on most days though is the purposeful attempt to be cheerful, grateful and content. All three of those can be chosen deliberately, and I strive to do so. I look for reasons to be grateful (if I am down, I tell myself to name 10 blessings in my life and by the time I've reached number six or seven I'm usually in a much better frame of mind!).... and then that in turn helps to foster contentment.
I look for reasons to be amused and cheerful; as my husband, parents and friends can attest, it does not take much to amuse me or delight me. A cute joke, a sappy song, a beautiful sunset, a playful cat, jaunty birds at the feeders, a creek in the forest, a new book, the perfect up of tea, the scent of good food cooking, the sight of flowers in bloom all delight or amuse me....really the list goes on and on and on.
This world will give you endless reasons to be upset, angry or disillusioned. We don't have to look far to find sad stories, horrifying events, or bleak circumstances. And it can be easy to dwell on those...but doing so will only poison your soul.
The world around us is also filled with loving people, beautiful nature, art, music and simple pleasures. If you decide to focus on such people, creations and situations that are delightful, thought provoking, and soul enriching you'll find yourself the better for it. Your mood will be brighter, you'll get into a habit of being content, and your outlook on life will be sweeter...as opposed to the bitterness that comes from living in the sludge of anger and cynicism.
Each day can be filled with either a series of blessings or disappointments. You get to choose what you are going to seek out, and what you find and focus on is what will shape your soul. CS Lewis said that each choice we makes determines the type of person we become (I'm paraphrasing here)...and I think whether we choose to view things in a positive or negative light has a huge amount to do with whether or not we end up being a positive or negative person. And I don't know about you, but for me, life is much nicer to go through when one is content, grateful and happy.
Now I am not claiming that my route of dealing with depression will work for everyone; some folks need to remain on medication to help regulate brain chemistry, and some people need counseling. By all means, my friends, get help if you need it.
We all can choose how we want to travel through this life; what kind of person we want to be. Do you want to be negative and bitter? (Because really....life isn't a whole lot of fun that way.) Or do you want to see each day as a gift full of small surprises and delights, with chances to make a difference in the lives of others and be open to wonder, faith and friendship? The tone you set for each day will help shape how the day will go.
If you look for reasons to be grateful, content, amused and delighted...you can find them. But you have to look and you have to cultivate that habit. Is it worth it?
It is for me.
Be blessed, my friends, and may you be a blessing unto others,
--Beth Haynes Butler
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