Junior Seau was a mountain of a man. He had money and a 25 year old girlfriend. He had the respect of fans all across America and yesterday he decided his life was not worth living.
Now, first and foremost, R.I.P. Junior. I hope the afterlife holds the peace you couldn't find in this one.
Secondly, I have seen some pretty dark times myself, so in case that some of you are going through some crazy stuff right now, here are my tips for avoiding depression.
1) Figure out what it is that you want. There are a lot of people that want something of you. It might be your boss, your teachers, your parents, pastor or significant other but none of those people should be more important than you. Figure out who you are and what you want. It is step one toward happiness.
2) Find a hobby. It sounds simple but it really can take your mind off of things. I love video games and it keeps me off of thinking about a world that will take a shit on you at any given moment.
3) If you're old enough, learn how to handle your liquor. If you are one of those emotional types that likes to fight and carry on until you start crying about that one time your uncle touched you 20 years ago, just don't drink. If you like to party and have fun, go dancing and kick it until you either throw up of get laid, keep some Cuervo on hand. Drinking is a tough recommendation to make because so many people can't handle it. If you are depressed it will either make it worse or make it better. Drinking works for me because it awakens my inner extrovert. It makes me want to have good clean (meaning legal) fun. If it makes you want to cut yourself, stick to the Mountain Dew. Which leads me to the next tip.
4) Don't beat yourself up. The world is full of people that want to beat you up. Don't give them any help. It hearkens back to my first point. If you are beating yourself up for putting something off that you really want, stop letting it nag you and go for it. If you are disappointing someone you care about, let their ass nag you about it. Its their fault you feel bad about it anyway. You may find out that they really didn't care that much.
5) Find some friends that aren't depressing. There are some really rude people that I like being around. There are also some people that are so negative all the time, I would beat them with a shovel given the chance. Happiness is contagious and if you can't spread the cheer, be somewhere where it might spread to you. I love hip-hop so I like going to clubs that play real organic hip-hop music. Hip-hop started from people that wanted to enjoy life even though they didn't have much. That same vibe is alive in little clubs and bars around the world and I like to visit places like that just to get in touch with that spirit. Figure out what sort of spirit you like to get in to and make it a point to visit that vibe from time to time. Surround yourself with things that remind you of that feeling, whether it be your favorite movies, favorite CDs or random pictures. Its funny how a screen saver or background picture can give you a momentary lift every time you see it.
6) "Don't let the things that you can't change stress you out". That's some advice from Xzibit. He's right. The world isn't under your control. Keep a handle on the things you can control and deal with the problems the best you can. When its all said and done you will be able to say that you held up your end, even if things didn't work out. Despite our best efforts some stuff isn't going to work but you can take pride in any efforts that you make. The one thing that you cannot accept is inaction, not failure.
7) Get over it. Once failure rears its ugly head, shrug your shoulders and try something else. Sitting at home and smoking weed is a pity party that no one wants to attend (unless they are trying to get some free weed). When success alludes you an opportunity to try something else will follow.
8) Don't make enemies. I don't make enemies, I make people I don't fuck with anymore. It might be an ex or a co-worker but you can't let people drain your spirit like that. Just stop being around them. If you can't avoid them set up some hostile cordiality. Let people know that if they don't start any shit, there won't be any. You'll find that most people adhere to that policy. People know that anger is usually negativity. When you bring it to light, you are hurting yourself as well as your target. Staying positive can lead to staying happy and it's a big step for avoiding depression
9) Don't be afraid. Yes, the world can be a cold, lonely place. Sometimes you have to supply your own heat. You can be the heat that people flock to, that will surely make you feel better.
10) Try something new. Jay-Z once said "I had to get off the boat so I could walk on water". The point of that is, if you aren't satisfied with what's going on, do something drastic. Even if you find out that things were better before, you can always go back to misery. Try a few shots at the glory, you might mess around and find your greatness. Logically speaking, if what you are doing is making you miserable, why keep doing it?
11) Take the damned pill. I am and never have been a proponent of anti-depressants. They fix the symptoms without fixing the problem but if you are not getting help with therapy, those pills can help you face the day to day until you make a breakthrough. Just don't think that taking a pill to make you happy for the rest of your life is a good long term solution. That is called drug addiction and it's generally frowned upon.
These are just a few things that people forget when they get locked in to the direction of their lives. You'll notice that I make a lot of rap references. That is because I love rap music. Music has the ability to take you away to other people's emotions. If you are sad, listen to something that isn't. That is my last advice. I am sure that I know someone that is depressed right now and if they don't want to talk to me about it, I hope this helps. Keep your head up, whoever you are...
Now, first and foremost, R.I.P. Junior. I hope the afterlife holds the peace you couldn't find in this one.
Secondly, I have seen some pretty dark times myself, so in case that some of you are going through some crazy stuff right now, here are my tips for avoiding depression.
1) Figure out what it is that you want. There are a lot of people that want something of you. It might be your boss, your teachers, your parents, pastor or significant other but none of those people should be more important than you. Figure out who you are and what you want. It is step one toward happiness.
2) Find a hobby. It sounds simple but it really can take your mind off of things. I love video games and it keeps me off of thinking about a world that will take a shit on you at any given moment.
3) If you're old enough, learn how to handle your liquor. If you are one of those emotional types that likes to fight and carry on until you start crying about that one time your uncle touched you 20 years ago, just don't drink. If you like to party and have fun, go dancing and kick it until you either throw up of get laid, keep some Cuervo on hand. Drinking is a tough recommendation to make because so many people can't handle it. If you are depressed it will either make it worse or make it better. Drinking works for me because it awakens my inner extrovert. It makes me want to have good clean (meaning legal) fun. If it makes you want to cut yourself, stick to the Mountain Dew. Which leads me to the next tip.
4) Don't beat yourself up. The world is full of people that want to beat you up. Don't give them any help. It hearkens back to my first point. If you are beating yourself up for putting something off that you really want, stop letting it nag you and go for it. If you are disappointing someone you care about, let their ass nag you about it. Its their fault you feel bad about it anyway. You may find out that they really didn't care that much.
5) Find some friends that aren't depressing. There are some really rude people that I like being around. There are also some people that are so negative all the time, I would beat them with a shovel given the chance. Happiness is contagious and if you can't spread the cheer, be somewhere where it might spread to you. I love hip-hop so I like going to clubs that play real organic hip-hop music. Hip-hop started from people that wanted to enjoy life even though they didn't have much. That same vibe is alive in little clubs and bars around the world and I like to visit places like that just to get in touch with that spirit. Figure out what sort of spirit you like to get in to and make it a point to visit that vibe from time to time. Surround yourself with things that remind you of that feeling, whether it be your favorite movies, favorite CDs or random pictures. Its funny how a screen saver or background picture can give you a momentary lift every time you see it.
6) "Don't let the things that you can't change stress you out". That's some advice from Xzibit. He's right. The world isn't under your control. Keep a handle on the things you can control and deal with the problems the best you can. When its all said and done you will be able to say that you held up your end, even if things didn't work out. Despite our best efforts some stuff isn't going to work but you can take pride in any efforts that you make. The one thing that you cannot accept is inaction, not failure.
7) Get over it. Once failure rears its ugly head, shrug your shoulders and try something else. Sitting at home and smoking weed is a pity party that no one wants to attend (unless they are trying to get some free weed). When success alludes you an opportunity to try something else will follow.
8) Don't make enemies. I don't make enemies, I make people I don't fuck with anymore. It might be an ex or a co-worker but you can't let people drain your spirit like that. Just stop being around them. If you can't avoid them set up some hostile cordiality. Let people know that if they don't start any shit, there won't be any. You'll find that most people adhere to that policy. People know that anger is usually negativity. When you bring it to light, you are hurting yourself as well as your target. Staying positive can lead to staying happy and it's a big step for avoiding depression
9) Don't be afraid. Yes, the world can be a cold, lonely place. Sometimes you have to supply your own heat. You can be the heat that people flock to, that will surely make you feel better.
10) Try something new. Jay-Z once said "I had to get off the boat so I could walk on water". The point of that is, if you aren't satisfied with what's going on, do something drastic. Even if you find out that things were better before, you can always go back to misery. Try a few shots at the glory, you might mess around and find your greatness. Logically speaking, if what you are doing is making you miserable, why keep doing it?
11) Take the damned pill. I am and never have been a proponent of anti-depressants. They fix the symptoms without fixing the problem but if you are not getting help with therapy, those pills can help you face the day to day until you make a breakthrough. Just don't think that taking a pill to make you happy for the rest of your life is a good long term solution. That is called drug addiction and it's generally frowned upon.
These are just a few things that people forget when they get locked in to the direction of their lives. You'll notice that I make a lot of rap references. That is because I love rap music. Music has the ability to take you away to other people's emotions. If you are sad, listen to something that isn't. That is my last advice. I am sure that I know someone that is depressed right now and if they don't want to talk to me about it, I hope this helps. Keep your head up, whoever you are...
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