1/8/09
The following things are on my mind:
1. The physical act of smiling, whether or not you're happy to begin with, brings on neurotransmitters that induce happiness.
2. One of the oft-quoted tenets of most 12-step programs is "fake it 'til you make it" - meaning, essentially, pretending to have a normal, functioning life actually brings on a normal, functioning life.
3. In the basic medical trials for Rogaine, 11% of people using a placebo solution grew hair. In other words, one out of ten people put water on their head and regrew their hair.
Last year, I began January with a sense of hope, direction, and a desire to think positively - after all, after all the drugs are taken and the therapy is ingested, the rest is all choice, right? I lasted about four months, which is not bad, before I sank into another morass.
By late summer, I was a wreck, as bad as I'd been since 9/11, and had to take fairly extreme measures to get back on the balance beam. That's the thing about a year like 2008; it was deliciously complex. Who would have thought the country would disintegrate, and yet choose such a leader to get us out? In my own life, we sold another script, our Lucy continues to shine, and yet I spent weeks wanting to drive into a ditch.
I am going to make another serious go of it, of relaxing into a good mood, to choose wisely, to stop and count to twelve. I will not let ego, defensiveness and old wounds continue their subtle press upon my aorta. I will try to wake up.
Me too. Wishing you the best, as always. . . .
Me too.
Ya know, Lucy is not the only one who shines brighter because of you.
Cyclical depression is an old "friend" of mine, too. You are doing all the right things, Ian, and you have a beautiful family supporting you in all you do. Not to mention your fan club here at Xtcian.
Be well.
amen, brother. i know you can do it, even in fits and starts, and i'll be here with the peanut gallery cheering you from the sidelines. happy hope, eh?
hey ian......after meeting you twice in my life briefly , (I don't really know you ).....one thing I do know is that you are allowing yourself to suffer too much( and I know this because I am the same)............here is a thought.................what is the most important ingredient in a cup of hot coffee?...........is it the cup ?............is it the hot water ?.............is it the coffee ?.......is it the milk ?.................is it the hand that holds the cup ?.................is it the lips that drink ?...............is it the taste buds that taste the bitter ?.............is it the brain that loves the stimuli ?..........is it the body that then loves to respond..........who knows and who really needs to care about the heirachy................it just makes for a cool experience of the cup of coffee.............everything else is just "thoughts " ....just thoughts..................practice experiencing in the moment.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cest simple, et it works for me every time... Quantum physics, Tinkerbell, and the famous Robed One all pimp the same game:
Use the force.
Signed,
She who threw a rod on a cross-country drive last week, according to FOUR different mechanics... only to Use The Force, replace the top radiator hose, put more water in, and continue driving all the way from Quartzsite, CA to Charlotte, NC. (true story)
"One of the oft-quoted tenets of most 12-step programs....pretending to have a normal, functioning life actually brings on a normal, functioning life."
Did you mean "step" or Stepford program?