8-39am
The suicide of Robin Williams has shaken people across the world. Because he was a comedian, a brilliant actor and a fantastic entertainer, one expects he would be happy. It goes to prove that just because you are funny, it doesn’t mean you are 
happy. You can put in a lot of other words in the place of ‘funny’ too.
Just because you are RICH it doesn’t mean you are happy.
Just because you are SUCCESSFUL, it doesn’t mean you are happy.
Just because you are BEAUTIFUL, it doesn’t mean you are happy.
Just because you are MARRIED, it doesn’t mean you are happy.
Just because you are NOT ALONE, it doesn’t mean you are happy.
Just because you are a CHRISTIAN, it doesn’t mean you are happy.
Just because you LOOK HAPPY, it doesn’t mean you are.
That’s the sad fact of life.
In the Bible, David, King of Israel, wrote numbers of psalms, pouring out his depressed state and lamenting his condition. His son Solomon, the man the Bible states was the world’s wisest – wrote of how meaningless life is.
While I have not personally experienced an extended period of depression, I have lived with someone who has. It is not easy for the family to try and come to terms with how the family member feels or what to do about it.
I come back down to my Five Word Foundation: God is my only Guarantee. He is. No one else can save me except Jesus & He is God.
He has to be my root of happiness. In the Bible, Paul writes he has ‘learned to be content.’ I’ve always remembered that contentment is ‘learned.’ It may not be something that happens overnight. It is a process and probably a life-long one. We all change. There will always be uncertainty in our lives. We need to practice contentment.
How? Here’s what I do:
I get up in the morning and I spend private moments committing the day to God. I lay it before Him. I ask Him to bless it. I ask Him to protect me – I ask Him to close doors He doesn’t want me or my family to walk through. He is my only Guarantee, so it is the obvious thing for me to do….to leave my life with Him & rest in the knowledge that it is safe in His care.
I read the Bible. I learn from the history of it. I take in the promises of God. I am reminded daily of His love and concern for me. What is important to me is important to God. I believe that.
He says to you today, Psalm 46 vs 10
“Be still & know that I am God.”
You may be inclined to think that if Robin Williams can’t cope with life, who can?
Corrie Ten Boom said it well, ” I can’t but God can.”
It’s time to believe it. God can sort out your problems. Stop worrying about them and lay them down, mentally, emotionally, physically, relationally and spiritually making every effort to leave them with God. Trust Him. And see what happens.
But sometimes, that doesn’t seem enough. You’ve done all that and still a horrible melancholic feeling of unhappiness assails you. There are other things you can build into your life to learn contentment….
1. Smile – I know it sounds crazy, but I have concentrated on what happens when I lift my lips into a smile and found it remarkable that some positive chemical reaction immediately happens in my brain. It’s an instant ‘feel good’ feeling.
2. Have a routine. I think we are built for order. When we are not sure what to do next, it brings upon us a mental confusion and emotional turmoil that can make us flustered. Plan your day, so you know what’s next. It will make you feel more in control. This I have learned from Julian, my brother, who has a to-do list every day. It’s a healthy habit.
3. Plan something different and positive EVERY DAY. When you plan it, you can anticipate it. Plan a little you time…a little pleasure that you enjoy. I asked Mike this morning what good thing he was planning today and he said he was going to treat himself to a bacon and egg sandwich. Something to look forward to!
4. Stop rushing. Go slower. Make a concerted effort to slow down. Stop and look. When the traffic lights are read, don’t look down at your cell phone! Look around you. Notice the clouds in the sky – look for colours at traffic lights. When you are walking, smile as you go. Look into the faces of passers by. See if they smile back. Ask everyone you interact with how they are. Recognise they may be having a bad day.
5. Sow into the lives of others. We have the opportunity to make someone’s day, every day. If you see someone with a lovely smile, don’t just think it, tell them. Whenever I do this, they can’t believe what they’ve just heard and they always ask me to repeat it! It leaves them with a warm fuzzy feeling. You hold it within your power to build someone up each day. My niece, Jessica, first year student teacher, doing prac at a school for the first time, insecure, uncertain, overwhelmed, had a young child come up to her on the playground and say, “Miss, you are very nicely!” It changed her day. It was memorable and has been repeated over and over again. One comment. Small child. Be the difference.
6. Let it go. I’ve said it before that if someone says something or does something that you perceive as offensive – you don’t need to TAKE it. You choose to take offense. It’s best to let it go. See it as a deviant cricket ball being bowled, that you allow to go through to the keeper. Life’s too short to take offense.
7. Be useful. I always feel at my best when I have had a constructive kind of day. I’ve been productive. It may mean doing a grotty job. Just get started and when you are done, you will feel so much better.
8. Do something to resolve any problems in your life. If you are struggling financially, do more than sit around moping about it. Find a job. Make a plan. It may be becoming a newspaper deliverer, a shop assistant, or dropping flyers in postboxes. If you need money, find a way to earn. Having been unemployed, I know that big jobs are not easy to come by, but menial jobs are more available. If you are prepared to do the small jobs, you will earn. I was the butt of a few jokes when I did a job that gleaned me about R20 an hour! It was such a fun, but humbling experience. If you have financial issues, do whatever it takes to resolve them. When you have a plan, you will feel better and more motivated.
9. Find friends. Don’t wait for friends to come to you. If you are lonely, go make yourself some friends. You will always find people worse off than you. Visit a frail care, or someone you know is shut in. Volunteer at an abandoned baby home or orphanage. Find company, join a Bible study or take up a hobby that you can do with others.
10. Know yourself. It may be that you have a chemical imbalance that needs more than these tips. I remember many years ago, I was overwhelmed with negativity and wanted to drive off a cliff. I know myself well enough to know that this is not normal. I figured with my age at the time (40ish), it could be hormonal. A blood test and visit to the doctor confirmed it. He told me that the most common medication he prescribes for women in their 40s was HRTs, but the second most common was anti-depressants. Be aware of this and seek medical attention.
One other point is to comfort yourself by the reminder that this too will pass.
Soooo, now you know why I say, “Keep the smile going!”
God bless you!
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂
Gratitude Pic…today, I get to meet Trish for coffee…..this picture if from March last year… 😀
But first, I need to get to the cottage bathroom- clean the walls – #7. 🙂