Jonathots Daily Blog
(2440)
Despair comes into our lives when the pile of what we need seems to be bigger than the pile of what we have.
It’s an issue of perception.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a small child in India or the Son of God, struggling in the Garden of Gethsemane, suddenly overwhelmed by the task ahead. You still want to screech, “Take this away from me!”
Despair is hard to escape. The classic remedies of prayer, counseling, positive thinking or even medication are all limited in their scope, based on faithfulness to the process.
Let’s be honest. It is very difficult to be faithful when you’re scared.
If you’ll allow me, here are three ways to set in motion a process to conquer despair by not allowing it to wash over you in the first place:
1. Don’t ignore your moods.
You are an emotional person and merely quoting scripture, uttering your mantra, finding your yoga position or trying to ignore the problem is not going to make it go away. Our moods are powerful to us because they project the symptoms of a condition existing in our soul, which requires our attention.
Stop perceiving yourself as “moody,” and realize that you are actually symptomatic. There is a tendency in our society to try to douse the emotions and limit their value. This is the worst thing we can do.
Deal with your emotions–they are telling you something important coming from deep within your soul.
2. Find a human mirror.
You will consider yourself irreparable until you realize there are other people in your same situation, and you can see your problem or apprehension in the face of another human being. This is why rehab surrounds you with addicts instead of people who have never taken drugs sharing their insights on self-control.
We all need a mirror.
I can’t change my life if I’m looking at people who have never had a life-changing experience. Look in the eyes of someone who suffers from the same despair that you do and draw strength from his or her struggle.
If you surround yourself with people who appear not only to be stronger than you, but also let you know how much stronger they are, you will only deepen your anguish.
3. Find a friend to note your progress.
Yes, you will need to be honest with someone. For a moment you will have to stop trying to be Superman or Superwoman, and admit you’re Clark Kent or Diana.
You will make progress. You’ll have a tendency not to ignore it because your expectations are too high. Get someone who understands your pursuit and can tell you how many steps you’ve made from where you started.
There are those who want to make depression and despair an illness, and perhaps in a handful of souls, it is.
But most of us become trapped in a cave of misunderstanding and worry, and soon find ourselves nearly immobilized–unable to function.
At that point, if you will simply give place to your moods, find other human beings who reflect your need, and get a friend to encourage you in your steps of progress, you can actually win the day and bring despair under your control instead of allowing it to make you an inmate to its prison.
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Jonathots Daily Blog 