Another Blast From The Past

This weekend, we look at the sequence of events that detail a movement out of cynicism and despair, into one of optimism and hope. In this case, hope is not a slogan. It is a true theoretical concept that really can exist once people make the conscious decision to pursue it, it really will exist. But relax. There will be no rendition of Melancholy Baby on this blog, anytime soon.

Have you ever met someone that has succumbed to the allurement of negativity? Usually, they breed more negativity and bring others down with them. These are people who really do complain when there is no rain. This is not to say it's a bad thing, when crops suffer under drought conditions. But there are people who would be content to have it rain everyday, so they can sleep their lives away.

This 1992 song describes this particular presentation of depression and apathy, and does so very well. The lead singer is from Lafayette IN, he died of an overdose back in 1995. I guess no one close to him paid much attention to the lyrics he wrote:



I believe there are cases where there are certain physiological causes to depression and despair, to include chemical imbalances in the brain. But in my opinion, there are far too many cases misclassified as such. In situational depression, medication is not indicated. No amount of added chemicals will do the trick here, it all comes down to problem-solving skills.

The first step to dealing with this is, accepting the fact that there are some things that can be changed and others that clearly cannot. Knowing the difference between to the two is imperative, if a person is to have any chance of rising out of the gloom and doom. If there is any question of how best to proceed from here, I recommend doing an inventory because there are some things that everyone just knows:



Once we discern which things belong in which category, it is then we can turn to the things we are able to change and control. By discarding the worries of things we cannot affect, we are free to concentrate on things which we have personal power to correct, things we can improve.

In this process we must be prepared to do another inventory. We must look at options for solutions. But before that, we have to know and understand what it is that we really want or what is important to us. We have to ask ourselves to prioritize things in an order in which there is a realistic chance for success. Much of this will based on personal values.

In short, we have to know and understand just what it is we want and can reasonably expect from life:



In our quest for inner peace, we may have done all of this and still be found lacking something. Knowing what we want is only half of the journey. To complete this voyage, we must examine and reexamine our motives and intentions. It is at this point, we must know why we want something. We must be willing to lay it all down, and count it out to ourselves:



It is my belief that those who seek the right things, for the right reasons, are people who find the greatest sense of fulfillment. They are the ones who can dig themselves out of temporary situations, which are not always under their personal control and set a course for personal growth and enrichment. These are they who can resist being in a state of apathy, despair, and avoid the magnetic pull of those who cannot. Misery loves company and they who love misery seek to weigh down those of us who don't.

But even if you think all of this is a bunch of psychobabble which you have absolutely no use for, these really are some good tunes. So give them a listen.

Enjoy.