Humour - 11th Day of Gratitude

I grew up in a time when any joke was acceptable. No political correctness required ... ever.

I am glad that has changed, because I also was raised in a time where, nobody cared about the impact of their jokes on others; and being the chubby kid and a girl, it seemed to me, many jokes were written with me in mind.

This did not stop me having a sense of humour myself, although some people who know me now might dispute I even have a funny bone. It is sometimes hard to find the funny in life or even a joke when you are reeling with anxiety or disabled with depression.

Having said all that ... I still have a sense of humour. It has been known to be a bit dark and at times inappropriate as I have spoken out my deepest fears or feelings in what to me seemed liked the best way to express them at the time. Such as ...

AND ...

But I have to say, that I would not be able to cope some days without a light hearted jibe or a quirky sarcastic remark being uttered by me or others.

Online Community - 3rd Day of Gratitude

To begin this post, I just want to reiterate "Grateful in April" is not my idea!

There is a website (Link Here) and an excerpt of that site below:

Grateful in April has been created by m.a.d.woman founder Melina Schamroth to encourage people to feel great about themselves no matter what circumstances they are facing. A social entrepreneur, speaker and author, Melina is known for innovative and creative ways of encouraging, inspiring and enabling people to make a positive difference to their community, environment and people in need.

I first stumbled upon the site last year, at a time in my life when I really needed something positive to hold on to each day, nothing in my own life seemed to be providing me with that.

Once I thought about the concept of gratitude, I started with the small stuff. Yes, it was difficult to simply be grateful for being alive, when some days I would have happily not woken up. It was hard to be grateful for the food on the table when I really had no energy to prepare or cook it. But that is the point, the little stuff, I had to see how lucky I was, REALLY was, to even have food to prepare, to have a bed to sleep in (or even expire in).

And THAT, is the benefit of gratitude. One baby step after another and it grows, so does something inside of you. In the end, I started this blog.  And as they say, the rest is history!

Although I still have days when I scream at the top of my lungs wonder "Why me?", I truly do try to look for just one thing each day, that I am grateful for and some days that is simply, I had the energy to get out of bed.

I do at times get side tracked and can go for days or even weeks at a time forgetting to focus on my gratitude, and that is why I decided to get back on the wagon and commit to the whole of April, and what better way to be accountable than to put it out there on my blog?

Just so you know, these posts are not sponsored or paid in anyway.  The only benefits I receive are the personal benefits I feel for my gratitude. So I suggest you try it too.

Today, I have had a good day, I caught up with a few friends and had a nice lunch with good company (Hi Pat *waves*), but the best part of today and the thing I feel most grateful for, is my online community.

You see yesterday, I posted my 2nd Gratitude post, but I also posted this one.  It is about a family in South Australia who are in need of some support, and in the hope of getting that support have written an open letter asking for it.  I basically copied that letter on my blog and distributed it via Facebook and Twitter and there has been such a heartfelt swell of support by people who also have helped to get the Fox family's story out that I cannot be more thankful. It lifts your spirit when a community comes together, particularly for such a good reason. Thank you to all those who have helped.

Source



So while we live in a time of perceived overuse and abuse of social media I am grateful for the community I have found and to them I am thankful for their support of fellow Australians.

Today, I am grateful for the support of strangers my online community!

My Happy Ending will be to actually meet some of my online community IRL over time.

Source

Things That Make Me Smile :-)

Depression is debilitating.

I could end this post right here, because those of us who struggle with Depression know only too well how debilitating it can be. But that would not get around to the heading I have given this post would it now?

Struggling with Depression is not the same as feeling a bit Depressed, or being a bit sad, or not quite feeling on top of things, or just not having any energy.  Many people have these feelings AND for the most part, 1 in 3 people with have "a bout" of Depression at some time in their life.

When I talk about Depression, I am not referring to those "temporary bouts" I am talking about DEPRESSION the type that changes your life. Yeah sure, you will encounter the other milder feelings I mentioned before, but not for only a day here or there, or even a couple of days in a row, you will encounter these annoying little symptoms more days than not, along with a huge list of other symptoms such as some Common behaviour associated with depression, like these:

• moodiness that is out of character
• increased irritability and frustration
• finding it hard to take minor personal criticisms
• spending less time with friends and family
• loss of interest in food, sex, exercise or other pleasurable activities
• being awake throughout the night
• increased alcohol and drug use
• staying home from work or school
• increased physical health complaints like fatigue or pain
• being reckless or taking unnecessary risks (e.g. driving fast or dangerously)
• slowing down of thoughts and actions.

For further information about Depression and Anxiety go to Beyond Blue For immediate assistance please phone Lifeline on 13 11 14

But enough of that!

I have recently read some incredible stories of other people's experiences with Depression, how it has changed their lives, how they fight it, how it has changed them and for some, how they have learnt to live with it.

I have not read anywhere about a cure, because I do believe that Depression stays with us, changes us; and while we might be able to change our lives powerfully, and even so much so that we can keep the beast at bay, it lives on within us just waiting for the next time we are overwhelmed, vulnerable or simply tired.

And again, enough of that!

There are things however, that I believe help me to keep the beast at bay, and those are the things that I really want to share with you ... so here goes!

MY LIST OF THINGS THAT MAKE ME SMILE:

Watching my children play
Rain - Watching and smelling it
When my children hug me
Peace and quiet
Meditation
My children's jokes
Funny photos
The smell of fresh cut grass
Eating ice cream with my children
Baby animals
Watching my children sleep
Success - no matter how small (getting the washing up done is enough some days)
Fond memories
Butterfly kisses with my children
Walking along the beach
Getting my feet wet in the ocean
Reading
Crocheting
Helping others
and Looking at puffy white clouds in a blue sky while laying on the grass.

I could actually go on for quite a bit more, but these are the things that I had previously listed in my book.

I have a book that I keep where I list all the best things I have learnt from hours of scouring books on positive quotes or positive healing etc., or wise words given to me from many sources and when I need to, I look through that book, and yes, it is another thing that makes me smile.

I had to work a little to put this together as one of my weapons that I use against Depression, but the effort has been worth it, for I am prepared!

So there are the things that I can do or think of or watch that make me smile, there are many other things that I do for other positive purpose, but that might just have to be another story!

My Happy Ending ... I feel uplifted for having shared something positive here, and I hope it can make you feel a little more positive too. xo

Take the first step in faith;

you don't need to be able to see the top of the stairs to climb a staircase.