Relieving Depression

Hello dear friend...

Relieving depression is what I'd like to write about this day...

Happy February...

Last February I wrote about fun. It's all outlined in a post just for you and you can read it by clicking here if you want to.

The reason I'd like to talk about depression is that it is the last item, number thirteen, on the stress test.

Question thirteen asks, " Are you unable to enjoy yourself even when you are doing something you enjoy?"

If you scored a three, four, or five on this question, chances are you may be sad. There are varying degrees of sadness. It ranges from mild, moderate, to severe. Degrees of unhappiness are accompanied by the length of time a person has felt sorrow.

Some things in life make us sad. For example, a death or a divorce, are occasions that nearly always create varying degrees of sadness. It is normal to feel unhappy when unwanted things happen.

However, life is not meant for anyone to live in a space of unhappiness, which is the opposite of enjoyment.

This is a very delicate subject because people who are depressed are often sick and tired of people telling them what they should do to feel better.

If you are reading this post because someone else is depressed, and you'd like to help them, the best thing you can do is stop giving advice, and love, and just listen. People dealing with chronic depression do not need the pressure of making you feel okay because they don't feel okay.

If you are reading this post because you feel unhappy, the only thing I want to say to you is you are so very important. 

You are so very important to God.

You are so very important to your family and friends.

You are so very important to me.

But most of all...

You are so very important to you.

In my, How to Destress, book I describe reasons why people may be unhappy, and I also provide things a person can do to overcome a lack of enjoyment.

The most important thing a person can do, in my humble opinion, is to begin to believe in him or herself. Believing in the self does not sound like an easy thing to do, to a person who has been with sadness for long periods.

If I could get a sad person to care enough about him or herself to connect to God, I know he or she could, and would find comfort, and would find strength. I know that he or she would learn the reality of God, and then begin to believe in himself or herself.

The crux of depression, often, is that the individual does not believe in himself or herself enough to think a thought in his or her favor, and for any length of time. Any work is hard work for a person suffering from sadness.

If a person could do one thing, and make a long-term commitment to do that one thing, I believe he or she can, and would be lifted. That one thing is to turn to God, then listen and look for spiritual things. Spiritual things are love and joy.

Turn and look, that's all you gotta do but, you gotta do it all day long, every day, for the rest of your life. Practice makes permanent in this human existence.

Turn to, talk to and walk with God, and He will show you He is real. Turning to, talking, and walking with Him, is just a thought away.

If you could think that one thought of turning to God regularly, I believe you will see how real He is, and you will see how important you are.

Focus on God!

Focus on Love!

Focus on talking to God!

Focus on walking with God!

I believe, and know, with all my heart and soul He will comfort you, and strengthen you. When you are comforted and strengthened it is easier to feel self-empowerment, which leads to believing in yourself.

Depression can and will be relieved a little bit at a time if a person will continuously tries to think a thought in his or her favor. That all it takes is a thought pointed toward God. I do not believe it will happen overnight, or even over a year, especially if you've dealt with it for a long time.

The goal is to believe, focus, and never give up.

Never give up!

Never give up on God!

Never give up on yourself!

One last word to the wise, if you are reading this post for someone you believe is suffering from sadness. The best thing you can do besides shutting your mouth ~wink, wink~, loving, and listening is you could turn to God as well. Words rarely ever teach a depressed person how to relieve their depression but unconditional love always heals. Take the advice given above about connecting to God, and you can, and will be the unconditional love a sad person needs.

That's all I got my friend except a hug and a prayer held tight in my heart for you.

I suffered for years with depression, and because of God, I have learned He is real, and that He is true comfort in my lonely times of need. The healing didn't happen overnight it took years. The best part of it all, I am so grateful for the relief that I have that nearly every moment is pure joy.

God bless you, my dear friend...

Speak soon...

Elizabeth

Why Meditation?

Hello...

Why I meditate and why I want to teach the world to meditate are the topics I wanna ramble about this day.

How are you? Summer is here in the United States, and people are busy, busy, busy.

When people are busy, busy, busy, they tend to get the momentum of the hurry-up disease, which causes anxiety and a lack of awareness of self and others.

As a young single mother, I was always busy and had a hurry-up disease momentum. This hurry-up disease has no mercy on the soul. The habit of being in a hurry does not allow for time to think about others or actions of the self because the focus is to hurry and get things done.

Let me tell you about my actions when I had the hurry-up disease. My most prevalent behaviors were anger, anxiety, complaining, criticism, debt, depression, drama, exhaustion, inappropriateness, insecurity, insomnia, irritability, moodiness, negativity, overeating, and worry. Just to name a few ~wink, wink~

All of these habits I mentioned I call addictions because an addiction, in my mind, is something a person believes he or she cannot quit. Individuals get so good at practicing a particular behavior they tend to live with the belief that they cannot stop that behavior.

Some people believe they have to hurry, hurry, hurry. Some people think they cannot quit their anger, anxiety, depression, despair, moodiness, or worry. No matter the action, it's just like an addiction. A person has to want to quit and begin to believe he or she can change.

Practice makes habits of permanence, whether they are thoughts, feelings, or actions!

Connecting to God and meditating has helped and still does help me lessen the negative behaviors I speak of above. I have been meditating since 1999 and have, I believe, eliminated much of my past harmful addictions/behaviors. I have mostly eliminated anger, anxiety, depression, and despair.

If something even tries to annoy me within seconds, I giggle because God and meditation have taught me that when I quiet my mind, I realize that life is not as serious as I used to make it out to be.

Please believe me when I say I know I am human and not perfect. Therefore, I keep practicing daily because I do not think one can or does become perfect without negative beliefs and behaviors. Practicing permanence is more of what life is about rather than perfection. When we make things permanent, we leverage habitual human behavior.

Meditation is simply the quieting of the mind, which gives awareness to the thoughts, feelings, and actions of the self and a greater connection to God. This awareness and connection allow one to recognize the negative thoughts, feelings, and actions and intentionally change them to more enlightening, inspiring, motivating, and positive thoughts, feelings, and actions.

The quiet mind allows one to practice the feelings of calmness, confidence, relaxation, and safety, which are the opposite of stress.

I have meditated for twenty years, and I know no one, personally, with more consistent joy than me. I do not say that to brag. I say that to convince you of the incredible pleasure God and meditation have brought me.

God and this joy I speak of have brought me out of the depths of despair and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Now I am the opposite person of whom I was 27 years ago (that's half my age, by the way). That, my friend, is the greatest thing of them all because I was miserable much of the time, and now I am in bliss most of the time.

I love life!

Could you imagine profound, deep, deepest moments of despair to the point of not wanting to live and then becoming so in love with life? That question is a primary reason I write this blog in hopes of helping my brother or sister here on earth. To help anyone I can, go from misery to joy.

The very act of moving from misery to joy is why I want to teach the world to meditate!

Could you imagine someone (possibly you) living in constant or periodic crisis, discovering meditation, making it a practice, and then never knowing or even experiencing crisis again? Could you imagine being in a state of confidence no matter what happens because you know how to remain calm and connected to God?

I have talked thousands of people out of their state of anxiety, and the way I did it was by remaining calm and talking to them through quieting their bodies, mind, and soul. Quieting others like that is something a person can do for themselves regularly and through regular meditation practice.

I have talked to many suicidal individuals and done it from a calm place, pointing them towards calming themselves and their faith in themselves, life, and others. Building on belief comes from a connection to God and a meditative mind of relaxation and feeling secure.

It may sound like I am boasting, and I am, but I do not boast of myself. I boast of God and practicing meditation.

All that calming and faith is much more complicated than just a few words of explanation. But, I know no other way than connecting to God and regular meditation practice that creates the success of bringing the self, as well as other people, from crisis to calm. There is no way I could have ever done what I have done, and still do, for others, and myself, if it weren't for my connection to God and my meditation practice that enhances that connection.

I shall meditate until the end of my days because life just improves.

I shall teach people to meditate until the end of my days because I see more and more success.

So... that, my friend, is why I meditate and want to teach the world to meditate.

The best part is that meditation doesn't take long at all. Five minutes a day is where anyone can begin. That five minutes can and will help anyone bring that quiet mind to the full force of the present moment at any time and anywhere.

You can begin by listening to the five-minute meditation video I created by clicking this link. The only thing required is focusing on the sounds. You can have your eyes closed or open. It's a start. Every journey begins with one simple step, eh?

I pray that I have inspired you to meditate so that you may develop a calm, sure, and confident mind. So you may learn what a constant state of relaxation, safety, and security feels like. So you may eliminate any anger, anxiety, depression, or any other negative emotion, especially despair.

Warning! Warning! Warning!

Once you meditate, you can never go back!

What I mean by that is that if you begin to meditate, you will become so aware of your beliefs and behaviors that when you continue the meditation, life just gets better and better and better because you become more connected to God. That connection to God becomes obvious via guidance and inspiration toward others, you, and your future. 

When a person meditates, he/she begins to feel so good that if that person stops the meditation practice, the negative emotions experienced in the past become so much more intense. I believe that when an individual discontinues a meditation practice, the negative emotion becomes so much more profound because the feeling of good from meditation is so powerful. That contrast is so clear that anyone would long for that special good feeling place.

It takes practice to make permanent, and so one must continue meditation to remain in that good feeling place of a calm, clear, confident connection to the true self and God.

That connection, my friend, is authentic, which is precisely why I will meditate to the end of my days and possibly beyond. 

Nothing is more important to me than being connected to God! There are not enough money, recognition, or titles in the world more important to me than knowing, talking, and walking with God. I've been asking for that closeness and connection for the whole of my life! And, if you feel the same way, you will learn to make time for meditation.

Have a wonderful weekend and the week ahead.

Take good care!

Hug, hug, hug...

I love you...

Elizabeth Stanfill

If you love what you read here, you may find my books by clicking, books by Elizabeth Stanfill.

God bless you...

Destressing Moments of Despair

Hello there!

Today, I want to begin a journey of destressing despair.

How are you doing my friend?

I hope and pray you are doing more than okay.

For many years I suffered deep moments of despair. For many years I responded to people in distress, as an EMT, on 911 (emergency) calls, and then I began my profession of responding to Emergency Personnel in deep moments of despair. Now, on occasion individuals will contact me who are experiencing the same. 

It is my personal opinion, when a person is suffering emotionally to the point of anguish, desperation, and hopelessness, it is quite possibly the worst feeling anyone can, and will experience. I know this because I personally experienced it for years, and have seen thousands of people suffer from it. 

The most important part of my experience is, I've witnessed relief in others and myself! I've witnessed healing from despair over and over and over again, and continue to see it. Additionally, I want to help anyone suffering and point him or her to the direction of peace.

If you are suffering emotionally, I would like to help point you in the direction of solace. It is my prayer that you will find a way to lift yourself from your broken heart no matter the cause. For it is you, and only you, who can, and will find rest for yourself if you seek it.

This is what I know for sure...

God is real, and if you turn to Him, He will comfort and strengthen you in that moment. 

This is what I also know...

Comfort and strength does not always last long when we are suffering. Matter of fact, we may only get glimpses of relief, one moment at a time. Therefore, we must continue to turn to God, every minute, of every hour, of everyday for our entire life here on earth.

Many people go to church on Sunday, and find respite from their emotional suffering. Then the week begins and life sets in with family, finances, relationships, and work, and so goes the stress, and the week. Then Sunday comes again, and more emotional rest. So goes the cycle.

I have learned that connecting to God, throughout the week, with quiet contemplation, and conversation, not only gives me guidance and inspiration but, comfort and joy. Yes! I converse with God, and I listen. He shows me evidence that He is real and I show Him faith that I know He is real.

I have frequent inner knowings of numerous things, and I know that these knowings are guidance and inspiration from God.

I've known God is real since a very young age of about four years old, and now at the young age of fifty four, my time is very much consumed with this knowing. There is no more despair because I turn to God more often than I ever have, and I just continue to.

There is no more anger, anxiety, or depression in my life because I feel God every moment, of every hour, of every day. Straight up! He is my life, and I talk about Him in nearly every conversation, and I walk with Him in nearly every step.

Please know that I am very human, and so I am imperfect. Sometimes I do get feelings and thoughts that I do want to get angry, anxious, or depressed but for only very teeny weeny moments. When I do want to have negative emotions, I will immediately giggle at myself because I have learned to laugh at me. 

Fearful feelings are human habits of this human experience that do diminish with proper practice, just as they grew with practice. 

It's alright if you do not believe me, but that is where it all begins, in a belief. To just believe is a glance at faith, then it takes repeated belief, and repetitive behaviors to get to where I proclaim to be. Certainly, my faithfulness and fearlessness for love and life did not happen over night.

Please understand, I do not believe I am better than anyone, and I am not bragging! I'm trying to prove there is destressing despair. Also, I believe in my capabilities within my confidence in God only because of the past fifty years of personal evidence, and the past twenty-seven years of witnessing others heal in a professional environment.

I know with all my heart and soul it takes faith and practice my friend.

The first step is to turn to God, and just keep on a practicing. That's all I do is practice and I love unconditionally. Love is the remedy for all despair. 

God is love...

"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." ~1 John 4:8, New Testament, The Holy Bible, KJV

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." ~1 John 4:16, New Testament, The Holy Bible, KJV

God is the solution...

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." ~Psalms 46:1, The Old Testament, The Holy Bible, KJV

If you do not believe in God, doubt your faith in Him, or just want to strengthen your conviction, ask Him for help, quiet your mind, and listen. He will show you He is real, especially if you are in despair.

This is the beginning... connecting to and turning to God, is the first step for relief from moments of sadness and sorrow.

That's all I gots...

Except, I love you!

God loves you!

You are so very special to Him! Seek Him more, and you will know, if you don't already know that this is true!

God bless you my dear sweet friend! My dear sweet brother/sister of this world.

Speak soon...

Elizabeth

Relieving Negative Emotions

Hey! 

Gonna write a little bit about relieving anger, anxiety, and depression today because those are the negative emotions that cause a whole lotta stress.

Hello!

How you? ~wink~

I'm praying for you! 

I'm praying for your healing!

I'm praying for your relief!

I'm trying to keep my posts short and sweet and straight to the meat. ~wink, wink~

Some things you may or may not want to hear...

First, if you are experiencing moods of anger, anxiety, and/or depression, know that it is not your fault.

Chances are something has happened to you, or is happening to you that has aroused your fear for life right now.

Or...

Could be, one or both of your parents trained you up in worry because they had practiced fear.

Second, all negative emotions come from some sort of fear of not being okay. Anger is fear of not going to be okay if you don't get your way. Anxiety is fear of not going to be okay because of the dreaded future. Depression is fear of not going to be okay because one believes he or she or life is not good enough.

Third, negative emotions get practiced into nearly permanence by default, and if one is not aware, one can, and will get deep into it.

Fourth, this stressful state of negative emotions does not belong to you!

Fifth, there is a way out but you gotta believe in yourself enough to think a thought in your favor.

Finally, if you have been angry, anxious, or depressed for a long time, creating relief may not happen over night.

One of the best ways to relieve negative emotions is to practice serenity.

Serenity is found by practicing inner peace of mind.

Whenever you can, sit still, follow your breath in and out, and feel for the knowing that you are safe, right here, and right now.

That safety is recognizable, and that inner peace can be practiced into permanence but first, one must make it a habit.

There is no greater relief from stress than the inner peace of mind and connecting to God. Inner peace is a way of connecting to God. Anyone can see it in others. Have you ever known anyone to be calm, and confident? That person has practiced it into permanence.

Do you believe in yourself enough to quiet your mind for you, for your future serenity, and tranquility?

Something to ponder...

That's all I got my friend!

Except, I love you!

God bless you!

Big Hugs!!!

Elizabeth

Here is another post I wrote on Releasing Negative Emotions.