Surviving the Storms of Life
August in Florida has a daily ritual that Floridians take with a grain of salt. It's the daily storms that pass by and that are filled with more electricity than in a 4th of July fire works display. It's no wonder they call Florida the "Lightening Capital of the World". Because rain clouds can be literally feet away from you and dump a huge storm on the people across the street and meanwhile your side of the street remains dry. It just depends on where you are located at the moment to the degree you get rained upon. The other day, the clouds were trumpeting and announcing the coming of a storm, or so I thought. Most of the people remained in the pool which totally surprised me. In Charlotte, at the very sound of thunder, we all jumped out of the pool for the next 20 minutes. Here though, they wait for the serious stuff, the lightening. That's what signals to the people here that the real storm is on the way. The storms here remind me that many people are going through different degrees of their own personal storms. The older I get, I see how life is full of hardships and triumphs. There isn't a time where anyone has just "made it" unless they've died and gone to heaven. Life is full of ups and downs, big storms and tiny rain clouds that we get through with little or no effort. In my own circle of friends and family, my 28 year old cousin Paul has brain and testicular cancer. He is having the fight of his life in North Carolina while the rest of his family flies out from Oregon to be with him. His girlfriend Christine, has been with him through the whole ordeal. Chemo and radiation treatments are a lot to handle for a young couple. My brother just found out that he has skin cancer. The prognosis is good, but it seems to come at an unthinkable time. He just sold his house and he and his family have 2 weeks to be out of the house and settled in somewhere new. My niece's boyfriend is being sent to Kuwait. My good friend just put her mom in an assisted living facility. Another friend is having a difficult time dealing with her new step son. Another friend is trying to find a new career which is proving to be difficult. Everywhere I turn, I see people dealing with the stress in their lives. It seems that everyone has different degrees of difficulty at different times. But in every case, I see people rising up to help the people who are going through the storms. It seems that we get the strength that we need to help others when they need it. And in our days of difficulties, if we review the rough times we've had, we can see how others have helped us through as well. Maybe it was just a kind word. Maybe we took our friends kids for the afternoon if they were at their wits end. Or maybe we helped someone financially in their darkest hour. If you read any motivational book, any bible or religious work, we should know now that we are here to serve. We are here to help others through their rough times. We are supposed to help those less fortunate than us and those who need a helping hand. And what about those people who always seem to be enduring difficulties? Perhaps they are in our lives to teach us a lesson. Perhaps we can be a constant reminder to them that supportive people are a blessing in our lives. When I consider complaining because I sprained my ankle this week or that I'm now squashed into an apartment while we find a house, I'm reminded about the people who are really suffering. I may be having some of those inconvenient rainy days where it's thundering, but the lightening hasn't hit. We're all healthy. We're talented and we have friends and family that love us. We have our whole life ahead of us. For my friends who are in the thick of the storm, I know that I can reach down deep and help them somehow. I know that I can send a card, an email, or even send up prayers on their behalf. I know that this is how you build self esteem in people. I know its how you get people thinking about how great their own lives are. Just get them to start helping others and soon, their own attitudes have shifted to a sense of gratitude. Who can you help today? What kind word can you give to a person today? Do you have any extra money this month that you can send to a needy family member, like a college student? How about your neighbors? Is there anyone quietly in need that you've sensed that a warm cooked meal can help? Did anyone lose their parents to death? Can you send them a card? Is there a mother struggling with a difficult teenager? She just might need a word of encouragement and not another piece of criticism. In our media driven society, it seems that if you're not 25, gorgeous and on TV, then you're not a star. But in REAL life, as a member of a community, each person can be the star to those around them. And there is no better feeling, then to be able to actually help someone else. And when the thunder and lightening come into your own life, you'll be ready. The thunder won't bother you much, and for as for the lightening, you'll get a chance to see how awesome your family and friends really are. They'll step up to the plate and surround you with care. What a beautiful place to be, in the eye of the storm. Mary Gardner is an Executive Communications Consultant and Coach. She works with, coaches and trains individuals, sales teams, executives, and celebrities. She enjoys seeing the best come out in people and has fun in the process. Mary is married to Sway and is mommy to Jeremy 5 and lives in Orlando, FL. For more information contact: mary@marygardner.com
WEB: www.marygardner.com
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Dont Be Surprised!
Life wasn't easy for cave men. They had to hunt all day, kill their dinner with a club, and drag the carcass to the cave. Then they had to butcher the animal and rub sticks together for a fire to cook it. They made clothes from the leftovers. And I think I have it rough when the husband wants me to cook instead of picking up carry out!
What?s The Latest on Suicide Risk and Antidepressants For Children?
FDA confirms some antidepressants increase suicide risk in some children. In February of 2004, two advisory committees of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended that the FDA warn practitioners about the possible risk of suicide potential associated with antidepressant treatment in children. The information was obtained from clinical trials of medications with children, expert witnesses on suicide research, testimony from families of suicide victims, as well as from those whose children had benefited from antidepressant medication.
Recognizing Depression?s Warning Signs
Depression is a serious illness, not a harmless part of life. It is a complex disorder with a variety of causes. It is never caused by just one thing. It may be the result of a mix of factors, including genetic, chemical, physical, and sociological. It is also influenced by behavior patterns learned in the family and by cognitive distortions.
FDA Nears Completion of Review of Vagus Nerve Stimulation For Chronic Depression
On June 2 at 8:00 pm ET, Reuters news service issued a press release announcing that the FDA have nearly completed final review of the conditions outlined in the February "deemed approvable" letter for VNS Therapy as a treatment for chronic depression. Cyberonics Inc. said that the FDA had nearly completed final review of conditions outlined in the February approval of its implanted device for treatment of chronic depression.
When Your Fears and Depression Have the Best of You
What do you do when your fears and depression are stronger than
what you can handle? There are times that no matter what you do,
your fears have the best of you. Here is a list of techniques and
suggestions on what to do when this happens.
How to Put an End to Depression
Depression can have many, many faces. If you are not aware of your feelings and emotions on a daily basis then it can creep up on you and cause misery in your life when you least expect it.
New Treatment for Depression to be Presented at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting
Within the next few weeks, the FDA is expected to issue its final approval of a medical breakthrough treatment for chronic or treatment-resistant depression. This new therapy will be presented at the American Psychiatric Association's Annual Meeting in Atlanta from May 21st-May 25th. The Annual Meeting is the largest gathering of psychiatrists in the world. Over 25,000 psychiatrists are expected to attend this important medical meeting.
Andropause and Depression
Andropause correlates directly with depression ? a major player in the notorious mid-life crisis period men face in their late 40´s to late 50´s. There are a wide variety of symptoms and conditions hormone-wrecked men experience during this mid-life transition ? everything from the mental (i.e. irritability) to the physical (loss of libido, lack of energy, and weight gain.) Depression, left untreated, can be a disabling condition.
Seven Ways To Deal With Your Depression
It has just been announced, after a study by a team from King's College Hospital, that depression is now the biggest reason for people claiming long-term sickness benefit in the UK, having taken over from musculoskeletal problems such as back
problems. The research shows that 176 million working days were lost because of depression in 2003. Depression now affects 1 in 5 of the population, with most people using various types of medication. Most people would like other types of treatments, such as 'talking cures', but there is a huge shortage of such therapies or therapists in the NHS system.
Sources of Online Suicide Help for People Suffering from Severe Depression
There are Many Resources for Online Suicide Help
Surviving the Storms of Life
August in Florida has a daily ritual that Floridians take with a grain of salt. It's the daily storms that pass by and that are filled with more electricity than in a 4th of July fire works display. It's no wonder they call Florida the "Lightening Capital of the World". Because rain clouds can be literally feet away from you and dump a huge storm on the people across the street and meanwhile your side of the street remains dry. It just depends on where you are located at the moment to the degree you get rained upon.
Psychiatrist Begin Training About Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Depression
The manufacturer of the vagus nerve stimulator has begun face-to face meetings with psychiatrists nationwide to educate them about vagus nerve stimulation therapy, how it works and for whom this treatment is indicated. It is very important that both you and your psychiatrist fully understand vagus nerve stimulation therapy so that you can make an informed decision together about this ninety-minute out-patient implant procedure.
5 Super Effective Tips To Kill Depression
Being lonely is a normal part of our everyday lives. We
get sad when we fail in our exams, when we're rejected by
the person we love, or when someone very close to us
passes away. Depression, however, could be more fatal
than just plain loneliness. It could render life-long
consequences that could ruin your self-esteem, health,
and well-being.
Turn Depression into Joy
Depression is the most prevalent disease of our time. Under the guise of informing the public, both the medical profession and the media are constantly "warning" us of the dangers and probabilities of the disease most likely to terminate us. News about a lack of sufficient influenza vaccine is enough to get our collective blood pressure soaring.
Quick Steps To Reduce Your Worries
Looking for a way to reduce the amount of worrying you do?
5 Tips to Reduce Depression
While war and poor economic conditions begin to affect people all over the world, more and more people suffer with depression. The more we focus on news events and the business climate, the more we are depressed. Whatever the reason you feel is the cause of your depression, the following five simple tips guarantee you reduce it significantly.
Vagus Nerve Stimulation: What are the Benefits and How Does It Relieve Depression?
Vagus nerve stimulation is more effective than antidepressants and is not related to brain surgery or shock treatments. It is a 60-90 minute out-patient procedure, with robust antidepressant affects on the brain.
Depression
The 'experts' have tried to evaluate me as a sufferer of this but found no such evidence or behavior. The same was true for all other mental or medical conditions, so they think 'witch' covers my condition in life; because I refuse to participate in the materially managed environment any more. We will not explore the horrors of the current forms of Inquisition in great detail in this book as it relates to me. That would definitely be too serious and intense, as I would explain society's role in tortures such as I witness all around me every day. I have been thwarted in devious gambits by those who have something even worse than the strait-jacket as we have seen Drs Breggin and Cohen describe in 'Science'. They call it (appropriately) 'pharmacological lobotomies'. ECT is even more disgusting and joins Ritalin in a campaign which social forces are developing in this control paradigm. It seems relevant to point out enough of the matter of my experience so that you will know you are getting it pretty close to what they say when they use the phrase 'the horse's mouth'.
Is it ADHD or is it Depression?
During the assessment process it is of great importance for the physician or clinician to consider other possible causes of inattention, impulsivity, or hyperactivity in your child, or teen, or yourself. In fact, this is probably the most important element of a good assessment. There are several possible causes of these behaviors, especially in children, and the clinician must have great certainty that these other possible causes have been ruled out before giving the label of "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" to your child.
Control Your Own Level of Motivation
When I first mention this to most people, they really don't get it, so here is a simple formula for keeping your moods upbeat.
|
