Depression can either be a blessing or a curse depending on the perspective you choose. Overcoming depression may not always be in our best interests. Our depression indicates that what we have in our life does not match what we really want in our life. Whether it is the love of our life, financial security or health, depression manifests at a time where we ask ourselves why we are living the life that we currently have.
To me, depression is a condition that affects the rich person more than the poor person. A hungry man does not have time to get depressed; he is just trying to survive. He is trying everything he can to find food to feed him for the day. A rich person already has this. They don’t worry about running out of water or starving in the streets; their physical survival is taken care of.
It is with that freedom that one starts to reflect on their life. The hungry person does not ask himself “Who am I?” “What is my purpose in life?” “Is there meaning to all of this?” For the hungry man, survival is the only thing on his mind. The rich person is the one who asks these questions. We want to know why we are here and what life holds for us. This is a natural part of our existence; we want to grow and secure ourselves by achieving our desires.
Lacking Progress
But what prevents us from accomplishing this? Well, here is where depression sets in. When we feel that we are not getting anywhere or making progress towards achieving our goals, we feel like we’re dying inside. If we were making progress then we would not be depressed. We would see ourselves as constantly improving and getting closer to what we want, but what happens if where you are today is the same or worse than where you were six months ago? You probably won’t feel very good about that.
The purpose of depression is to point out where some road blocks exist within you that prevent forward motion. Depression ignites parts of you that you can’t accept about yourself. There exists an inner voice that tells us that we have to change and be something or someone else. It informs us that what we want in our life is impossible to achieve unless we do X, Y and Z.
In this position of resistance and non-acceptance, we can get depressed because we feel helpless and powerless. By accepting who you are and the situation you are in, you allow creative energy to flow and become a source of inspiration to proceed forward and thrive.
We all need some depression in our lives to help us get back on the right track.
Overcoming depression can be counterproductive. The goal of overcoming depression can be dangerous; it makes us think that the depression is working against us. We need it so that we are shown very obviously the parts of us that we don’t accept yet and see as “bad” or flawed. When we accept these aspects that may be considered weaknesses, they propel us forward so that we can achieve whatever it is we want.
