First Thursday in August, I can’t believe we’re in August already! In 5 more days, the Dog Days end and hopefully that means the heat will break.
With that said, my summer SAD has been really bad for the past few days. I am grateful for my friends for listening and empathizing. I’m also thankful for my parents.
I’m thankful for Andrew Soloman and his inspiring TED talks, which have been helpful in lifting me up. Let me share one:
I’m going to rest, I found when I rest, I feel better. I will be back next week, after a few days of rest.
What are you thankful for?
The Happiness Box Project 
Hi, Jessica Marie!
I thoroughly enjoyed Andrew Soloman’s TED talk. I watched it in its entirety. As I listened to his talk, I flashed back nearly 40 years to 1982. I spent most of that year in the grip of depression. It was a pattern of thinking and feeling that I simply wasn’t equipped to break. As Andrew described, every single aspect of daily life seemed like too much to handle. It was too much trouble, too much work, to wash and to eat. All I wanted to do was sleep. I couldn’t think of a single thing that I could do that I might enjoy or might make me experience happiness again. It’s a miracle that I was able to hold a job. Near the end of his talk, Andrew hinted at what I did and what I now recommend others do to break free of the trap of depression. I forced myself to listen to music, watch funny TV shows and movies, and to start exercising. I got out of the house and met and dated some new people. Eventually I discovered that I was capable of handling things again. When that breakthrough occurs you build even more momentum and regain your equilibrium. I wasn’t afraid to feel grief and sadness, because to feel it and experience it means that you are alive. The opposite of that is to blot it all out and feel numb and dead inside. That’s no way to live. Take your pain, fear and sadness with you and jump back into life. At first it may seem like an exercise in futility, but things will get better. When you are having fun, grooving to tunes, going to movies, viewing educational exhibits at museums, dining at your favorite restaurants, taking nature walks, getting close to animals. visiting parks and playgrounds and taking trips to the beach, it soon becomes impossible to stay depressed.
Thanks for posting this inspiring TED talk, dear friend JM. Have a good Friday and a safe and happy weekend!
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