Happiness is the one thing we all want most in this life, and something I bet you are searching for it right now. If so, well…I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you’re never going to find happiness. The fact that you are even looking for happiness means that you don’t…
Category: Depression
Understanding Depression
“I’ve learned that people handle [depression] better if they understand it better. It’s kind of like women going through pregnancy. If they know why their body is doing what it’s doing–if they know where the pain is coming from, why it’s there–it’s more tolerable.” In this video, Maurice W. Harker, Certified Mental Health Counselor (CMHC),…
When a Loved One Commits Suicide
When a Loved One Commits Suicide As an oldest child, I am used to fixing problems—both in my life and in the lives of my siblings. With the suicide of my brother in 2008, for the first time in my life I faced a problem that I couldn’t fix. My brother lay in the hospital for a…
Escaping Depression
I sat in the waiting room with my head lowered, careful to keep my face concealed behind the largest pamphlet that I could find. I didn’t want anyone to see me in this office—especially not anyone I knew. I was ashamed, so ashamed, to be going to see a therapist. I didn’t want to admit…
A Good Cry
I used to think crying was a bad thing. When I was young I’d get sent to my room for crying too much. My parents didn’t know that I had a reason for crying and that I just didn’t know how to tell them about it. They probably thought I was being a spoiled brat….
The Saint and Sinner Within Each of Us
I believe that within each of our souls there is both a sinner and a saint. In many ways, it is like the legend of the two wolves. An old Cherokee chief was teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is raging within my soul,” he told the boy. “It is a terrible fight between two…
The Power of Belief
About a year ago, I re-watched the movie Hook (“Oh there you are, Peter!”) and discovered something that illuminated my understanding: What we believe not only changes how we see the world, but it also changes who we are. I’ve got a few examples of how this works, but let’s start with Hook and then move to…
Suicide & How My Brother Saved Me From Drowning
I’m the youngest of six kids. I have two brothers–the oldest is David and the other is Sean. Sean and I didn’t get along when we were younger. Don’t get me wrong, it was nothing serious. More of a personality difference. I liked Sci-Fi, he liked sports. I wanted to watch cartoons, he wanted to…
Creating Happiness
I’ve been thinking a lot about happiness lately, about what it means to be happy. Have you ever wondered how some people can have nothing and be totally and completely content and even joyful, while others have everything material that they could ever want and still be miserable? I stumbled upon this TED Talk a…