How to Get Rid of Your Fears and Doubts Once and For All

Fears and doubts have a tendency to creep inside your mind and fester and grow.

The good news is that you have the power to shrink your fears and doubts with the wave of a magical wand, real or imagined.

Keep reading.

Below is my April 13, 2013 horoscope from DailyHoroscope:

A great way to help a child deal with persistent fears or nightmares about monsters is to give them a technique for dealing with the problem. Tell the child to look the monster directly in the eye, and use an imaginary wand to shrink it down until it’s as small as an ant. In a child’s mind, this is possible. And it’s possible for you too, Leo. You’re dealing with a fear now – something that affects your quality of life. Look at that fear, point your imaginary magic wand in its direction, and banish it from your life. It may take a few tries, but if you believe in your power, you can free yourself of a fear. [Read more…]

7 Ways The Bible Influences You Today

the bible, bible, the bible on the history channel, history, history channel, jesus, who write the bible, bibles, new testament bible

Photo credit: Billy Alexander-Stock Exchange

Power, lust, greed, sex, gluttony, laziness, and war.

Forget about reading Fifty Shades of Grey just read The Bible or watch it on The History Channel!

Roma Downey (Touched by an Angel) and reality show mogul Mark Burnett (Survivor, The Amazing Race) produce The Bible, and have brought viewers what is being called, “The Bible for today’s generation.” They’re not kidding.

Today, children are growing up with more wars than their parents and grandparents. Sex and violence are prevalent in TV shows, video games, and movies. The internet can be a dangerous place kids because you don’t really know who’s lurking on websites and from where. And most kids are becoming desensitized to all of this.

Can we trace power, lust, greed, sex, gluttony, laziness, and war back to The Bible? Sure we can. Here’s how The Bible influences you without you knowing it. [Read more…]

27 Ways to Forgive Others

forgiveness

forgiveness (Photo credit: cheerfulmonk)

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Today is the perfect day for you to forgive others.

If you ever wondered why you don’t have love in your life, it could be that you’re blocking it by not forgiving others.

I get it. Forgiveness may not come easy to you. Heck, it’s taken me many years to understand the concept.

But it can be easy when you understand what forgiveness is.

Forgiveness doesn’t mean you condone a person’s actions. It simply means you release yourself from the energy connection you have to a person and or situation.

So starting today…

1. Say “I love YOU!” This is the first step towards forgiveness. If you don’t love yourself, you won’t love or forgive anyone else. [Read more…]

The Art of Laughing

English: Watching a comedic television show he...

English: Watching a comedic television show helps provoke laughter (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Ah, laughing.”

“Laughter is the best medicine” is good advice, but it’s nothing new. Your doctor or mom or ‘doctor mom’ probably told you many times that “laughter is the best medicine” and how it cures anything from a broken heart (over time) to stress.

If you’re stressed out, you’re not laughing.

But how are you supposed to laugh when you’re worried and stressed out all of the time. How can you laugh?

We have a tendency to take ourselves way too seriously. We also have a tendency to care way too much about what others think of us. This isn’t healthy.

You can’t expect a genie to appear before you and grant you three wishes that will make your troubles disappear instantly. As a result, it’s hard not to be wound so tight that you’re going to spin out of control like a toy top.

I’d like to help change that.

I’ve been studying and paying attention to human emotions, behaviors, and patterns for more than five years. I’ve observed myself, my family, and others, and I’ve created a list of seven techniques that will put a smile on your face and cause a hearty laugh to form in the depths of your belly. Caution! A laugh may come out of your mouth. [Read more…]

Color Your Life: Daily Meditations for the Creative Soul

I’m pleased to announce the release of Color Your Life: Daily Meditations for the Creative Soul. You may notice a different name on the cover. I, Amandah Tayler Blackwell, am using the pen name of Celeste Teylar. The “Daily Meditations” series is being published by Thom Byxbe (Chief Creative Officer/Editorial Director and Author of “Color Your Life”), Nascent Digital Press, A Service of Nascent Publishing, LLC.

CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE THE FIRST THREE CHAPTERS OF “COLOR YOUR LIFE”

The purpose of Color Your Life: Daily Meditations for the Creative Soul is to help you shift your life through the use of color and creativity. As you may or may not know, “color therapy, which is used by alternative and holistic practitioners as a way to help their clients heal from their childhoods, divorces, job losses, sicknesses, stresses, etc. It’s a high vibrational technique that requires a therapist to tune into their creativity and apply color to their clients through the use of visualization, verbal suggestion, and other tools. In fact, the primary colors in the rainbow carry unique healing properties. It’s one of the reasons why people often feel better after they’ve spent time in the sun. On the flip side, some people suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as the winter blues, winter depression, or seasonal depression. By using color, you can balance your energies and bring vibrancy to areas that may lack emotional, physical, or spiritual stability. You can literally heal yourself with color. But, you’ll have to tap into your creativity to do so” (Excerpted from “Color Your Life: Daily Meditations for the Creative Soul”).

Chapter One

“Creativity takes courage.” Henri Matisse

Henri-Émile-Benoît Matisse was a French artist who’s mostly recognized for his paintings; his work spanned a half-century. In addition to being a painter, Matisse was also a draughtsman (skilled at drawing), printmaker, and sculptor. He expressed himself through the language of color and is hugely recognized as a leading and prominent figure in modern art. Like Matisse, you can express your day through the language of color.

Einstein once said, “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex… It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.” Add creativity to this and you’ll have a recipe for success. Whatever you want to accomplish in life takes creativity and courage. It doesn’t matter if you want to go back to school, start your own business, find your soul mate, move to a new city, leave a relationship, change careers, travel around the world, etc., you must take some form of action to get started. This is where color and creativity can help you.

Tap into your imagination and get creative, form a picture in your mind. Or, if you lean more towards “feeling” vs. visualizing, feel your dreams. What colors do you see? Where are you? How do you feel? What are you wearing? What are you doing? Who’s with you? See and feel everything as if it’s your reality right now. Use your creativity to picture and feel yourself accomplishing a goal.

You may not know how you’ll accomplish your dreams and may even be tempted to panic and worry about them. Please don’t. All you’ll do is attract situations and people to you who’ll give you things to panic and worry about on a daily basis. Remember, you don’t have to know every little detail. Leave the details up to the universe. It knows the best way to bring your dreams to fruition. Your job is to daydream and immerse yourself in color.

Paint Your Day with Creativity Color: Red

Exercise:

Before you get out of bed, visualize your day as Red. Allow the color to wash over and surround you. Feel the warmth, strength, and courage properties of the color. Breathe it in and pull it into your root chakra, your first chakra. Really feel the color energize you. Now visualize a situation. Let’s use work. For example, if you’ve been afraid to speak up at meetings, visualize yourself speaking clearly and confidently and sharing your creative ideas with everyone. Visualize your manager and co-workers with big smiles on their faces because you just solved a major problem, creatively.

Affirmation:

I breathe in creativity color Red and feel energized and courageous. I can do anything!

 

 

 

 

 

Why Hurricane Sandy was a Blessing in Disguise

Together We Are

Together We Are (Photo credit: mommy peace)

Even a something as destructive as a hurricane can be a blessing in disguise.

I live in Northeastern Ohio and didn’t think Hurricane Sandy would affect the “Buckeye State” but it did. We lost power on Monday, October 29 at 8:30 pm. It was restored the afternoon of Friday, November 2.

My heart goes out to those in NY and NJ and everyone on the East Coast. Ohio didn’t see the amount of devastation that NY and NJ did, and I’m grateful for this.

Please donate what you can. Visit the American Red Cross to learn how you can help.

A hurricane wakes you up

I’ve experienced growing pains of the “spiritual” and personal development kind since I moved back to Ohio two years ago. I was upset that my move to Arizona in 2007 wasn’t a permanent one, but I now understand why I had to come back to my hometown. I had more growing up to do. Who knew?

After Hurricane Sandy settled down, I drove around our neighborhood and was amazed by Mother Nature’s power. Trees were uprooted all over the place. Streets were flooded and debris was everywhere; power lines were down. However, we were lucky. This was nothing compared to what people in New York and New Jersey experienced.

As I watched the rain, I realized how grateful I was to have had the luxury of having electricity, food, hot water, a washer and dryer, etc. a few days before Hurricane Sandy blew into town.

I write a list of gratitude in my journal almost daily, but the hurricane reminded me that it’s important to remain in a state of gratitude every day. It doesn’t matter if you write it or not just be grateful for what you have.

Losing power = learning what’s real and what’s not

Having the power knocked out and living with your family tests your patience, will, and strength.

Ironically, Hurricane Sandy forced my family to spend “real time” with each other.

What is “real time?”

Real time is when you pay attention to one another without having your nose buried in your BlackBerry, iPhone, iPad, MP3, laptop, Samsung Galaxy, MacBook, book, newspaper, magazine, or TV series.

Real time is when you eat dinner together at the same time.

Real time is going outside and chatting with the neighbors and consoling one another.

Real time is playing Uno and Apples to Apples with your niece and nephew.

And real time is spending time in nature and realizing the awesomeness of Mother Nature.

Family means more to you than you think it does

During the hurricane I realized that my family, my “close” family, means the most to me. They’re the ones who are there for me every day. They’re the ones who support me, and I support them.

My uncle’s an electrician and used to work for a local electric company in Cleveland. He sold a generator to his friend and contacted him to see if we could use the generator. His friend agreed and my uncle brought us the generator on Tuesday (power went out on Monday — we had to throw out food). Within an hour we were able to plugin our refrigerator, freezer, and two lamps. It was nice to have light again.

The next day my uncle called to say he was coming back over because the temperatures were supposed to drop into the 30s. He came over and gave us heat by somehow hooking up our furnace to the generator through our electrical box. It was SAFE! I was extremely grateful to have heat.

Hurricane Sandy made me realize that my close family means more to me than I thought. I know that sounds awful. Like I didn’t appreciate my family but the truth is I didn’t. Why? I’ve always felt the outsider; the one who beats to her own drum and does her own thing. The one who felt like she was adopted!

If you don’t have family, you really don’t have anything. No amount of material things will fill the empty void inside of you.

I know that some people can’t depend on their biological family or have cut ties with them for various reasons. The good news is you can create your own family by handpicking close friends to surround, love, and support you. This is what matters NOT whether or not you share the same surname and blood type.

Worrying is useless

I’ve been studying personal development aka self-help materials since 2007 when I had an epiphany that I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I’ve grown by leaps and bounds since 2007 and realized that worrying is useless. All it does is bring to you more things to worry about every day.

I no longer worry about tomorrow.

I no longer worry that I’m not pleasing others.

I no longer worry that certain family members and I are no longer on speaking terms. This one’s definitely a blessing in disguise.

I no longer worry about the economy.

I no longer worry…plain and simple.

A strong gust of wind and hard rain can wash you clean

If you’ve been feeling like you want to make changes in your life, a hurricane, metaphorically speaking, may be just what you need.

Hard rain can wash away the old and bring the new to the surface. Rinse out old belief systems and values and replace them with ones that resonate with you. Cut ties with people who don’t support you; they’re probably energy vampires anyway.

Strong winds can blow away the dust from your life and polish you at the same time. The harder you struggle or push against wind will only tire you out. Stand still and don’t make a fuss.

Think about how you want your life to be now and sketch it out on a piece of paper or daydream about it. Figure out what you want to do and pursue it. Take a chance — it won’t hurt you. On the contrary, it will make you stronger and wiser.

Open your eyes to the possibilities because they’re endless. You do live in an unlimited universe.

If you enjoyed this post, I’d be very grateful if you’d help it spread by sharing it on Twitter, Facebook, and StumbleUpon, emailing it to a friend, or pinning it. Thank you!

Did Hurricane Sandy turn your life upside down? What blessings can you find in the midst of turmoil? Share.


Stay Up-To-Date With MisticCafe
Enter your email address:Delivered by FeedBurner

7 Steps to Living a Happier Life

How happy are you?

The truth is you may not be that happy. You may be going through life miserable and unfulfilled.

Why?

You probably learned to be miserable from your parents and family. Let’s face it; these are the people we spend the most time with. Yes, a negative mindset and depression are contagious. You can catch another person’s crappy mood like you can catch a cold!

I’m sure you’ve heard over and over again that “happiness is a state of mind” and that “you can choose to be happy now.”

The truth is being happy could be a challenge if your desires and dreams haven’t manifested. The key is to stop thinking you need this or that to be happy. Release your dreams instead of constantly focusing and worrying about manifesting them. Be happy with what you have. You’ll feel better.

Let’s examine the 7 steps living a happier life…

1. Stop seeking approval from others, especially family. I’ll tell you something you probably never heard before: not everyone in your family, this includes your parents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents will approve of you and or your dreams. I know this sucks to read because all of us have been conditioned to believe that family is everything and that family will support you. This is a lie. Just ask any teenager who comes out of the closet to their parents. Not all teens are accepted for who they are. The sad truth is that some of them are kicked out of their homes because of their sexuality. The sooner you KICK THE HABIT OF SEEKING APPROVAL from others the happier you’ll be.

2. Choose a career path that works for you. Quit listening to people who say, “You can’t make a living as an artist.” You may have to have a day job to pay the bills, but you can pursue your art at night (or whatever it is that brings you joy). You can paint, write, act, design, sculpt, etc. on weekends and weeknights. Share your art with the world by creating a website and marketing yourself on social media networks. Join groups and network with other artists. You never know who you’ll meet who can help you get noticed. Choose a CAREER that works for you and it will work for others too.

3. Speak words of favor. Try this experiment. Listen to the words that come out of your mouth. Heck, listen to the words that come out of your spouses, partners, family, friends, and co-workers. I’d bet you any money they speak words of defeat. This gets old after a while. Learn to tune-out the negativity and SPEAK words of favor.

4. Be grateful. I know you’ve read and heard about this one. The majority of self-help authors on the planet stress the importance of being GRATEFUL. You could keep a gratitude journal or you can state out loud what you’re grateful for. For example, I’m grateful I have a roof over my head; I’m grateful I have the world’s greatest mother; and I’m grateful that I can see and hear. The list goes on and on. Give it a try.

5. Smile and laugh. How many times a day do you SMILE? I’d bet it’s not a lot. How many times a day do you laugh? I bet it’s not a lot. Look in the mirror and smile. Watch a good comedy and laugh until your stomach hurts. Stop taking life on planet earth so serious. Lighten up. It will do your mind, body, and soul good.

6. Love. Before you can love others, you MUST LOVE you! Give yourself a hug every day. Love unconditionally without any strings any attached. If you ever find yourself in a sticky situation ask yourself, “What would love do?” Be still and listen for the answer. Love has the power to transform your life in HUGE ways. When you transform your life, you can help others do the same.

7. Be you. Just BE YOU! Quit trying to please your mother, father, brother, sister, grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle, cousin, teacher, co-worker, etc. You are unique. Embrace your individuality and don’t be afraid to express yourself. Just be you and get on with your life. The sooner you accept you, the happier you’ll be. You’ll be free of stress and anxiety.

If you enjoyed this post, I’d appreciate if you’d share it with others. Email it, tweet it in Twitter, stumble it on StumbleUpon, pin it on Pinterest, and like it on Facebook. Thank you!

Stay Up-To-Date With MisticCafe
Enter your email address:Delivered by FeedBurner

5 Mistakes You Can Make When Your Brother or Sister Gets a Divorce That Will Hurt Them and Their Kids

Let’s face it; divorce happens and it happens all too often.

When your sibling goes through a divorce and there are children involved, it’s usually not a good idea to pit one parent against the other by using their children. How is this helping? How is this being loving and supportive?

Children of Divorce

Teens whose parents are separated have their world turned upside down. They no longer have two parents living under the same roof, and they may find themselves being separated from their sibling(s) if their brother and or sister choose to live with mom and or dad.

Separation and divorce aren’t something that children expect, but it happens far too often these days.

The last thing children need is an aunt or uncle messaging them on Facebook and blasting them about not calling and or spending time with their mom and or dad. Unless you live with your nieces and nephews, you don’t know the whole story of what lead to their parents’ separation/divorce.

Divorce Hurts Everyone

Separation and divorce isn’t something that most married couples expect to happen. For the most part they believe they’ll have a ‘happily ever after,’ but that can turn sour once you’ve realized you married someone you have no desire to be married to anymore.

When you realize that it’s time to get out of your marriage, you don’t need interference from family members who don’t know the entire story.

“Divorce is the psychological equivalent of a triple coronary bypass.” ~ Mary Kay Blakely

Aunts and uncles who stick their noses where it doesn’t belong don’t have their niece and nephew’s best interest at heart. If they did, they would offer to take them to the movies, on vacation, or just to have a chat. They would make it known to their niece and nephew that they are there for them no matter what instead of coming at them with ‘guns blazing’ through Facebook or some other social media website.

Don’t Play the Victim for Your Sibling 

If your sibling’s separation/divorce is painful then he or she could speak up about it. They could seek help from a psychologist and or life coach. Plus, if they truly cared about their spouse and children, they would do everything in their power to get them back instead of sitting on the sidelines and feeling sorry for themselves.

Sometimes, a spouse will act more like a child than an adult when they experience a separation or divorce. They lash out and throw temper tantrums. They whine and pout. And they try to get someone else to fight their battles. This doesn’t help your sibling — it only hurts them.

Anyone who’s had a sibling experience and separation, divorce, and or dissolution understands that it’s not an easy process. It’s mentally, emotionally, and financially draining. There are no winners in a divorce. The losers are usually the children because some parents expect them to take sides. This isn’t fair to kids.

So what could siblings do when their brother and or sister goes through a divorce, separation or dissolution?

5 Mistakes You Can Make When Your Brother or Sister Gets a Divorce That Will Hurt Them and Their Kids

Don’t message your niece and nephew through Facebook. Don’t send your niece and nephew a rude text message or IM them. If you really cared about them, you would pick up the phone and call them to see how they’re doing. You would offer to take them to the movies and out to dinner. You’d offer them the opportunity to go with you on vacation. If you haven’t given your niece and nephew the time of day, why would they care what you have to say?

Don’t mud sling. If you start throwing mud at your soon-to-be ex sister-in-law and or brother-in-law and their parents and siblings, you’ll only make them look good, especially in the eyes of the court. Bullying and harassing through Facebook is a ‘hot topic’ right now, and you could find yourself in deep doo-doo if you start slandering or defaming a person’s character. You may find yourself in a lot of trouble if you make false accusations and assumptions.

Don’t assume. In case you don’t know what assume means it means…”Don’t make an ‘ass out of you and me.” Unless you lived with your brother/sister and their kids, you have absolutely no idea what went on in their home. You weren’t there 24/7 — you don’t have all of the facts. Don’t assume that your niece and nephew lived in a wonderful and loving environment. Don’t assume that the home your niece and nephew lived in was neat and clean and not filled with the stench of cigarette smoke or animal urine. Don’t assume that your sibling was an attentive parent. Get the facts before you assume.

Don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong. Unless you have something positive to add to your sibling’s divorce, stay out of it. It has nothing to do with you. Only in extreme cases is it a good idea to get involved. But if it’s a matter of two people who’ve grown a part, allow them to handle it. You’re denying both parties the opportunity to learn life lessons if you try to ‘fix’ the situation.

Don’t tell your niece and nephew how they ‘should’ feel. You have no business ‘shoulding’ all over your niece and nephew. They have every right to feel angry, confused, pissed off, sad, etc. Give them a break; their lives have been turned upside down thanks to their parents splitting up. Allow kids to process their feelings in a healthy manner. Telling them how to act or how they should feel will backfire on you.

So…Will you stop being an ass of an aunt and or uncle for the sake of your niece and nephew? Will you let them experience their feelings? Will you allow them the decency to express themselves, the good, bad, and ugly?

If you don’t back off now, you’ll push your niece and nephew out of your life for a little while or for good. You probably didn’t think about that consequence. Remember the law of cause and effect states that for every cause there’s an effect, for every action there’s a reaction.

You can either be a loving and supportive aunt or uncle or you can be an overbearing bully. The choice is yours.

Stay Up-To-Date With MisticCafe
Enter your email address:Delivered by FeedBurner

How to Let Go of the Past and Move Forward: Get a Pedicure

After all, don’t all of us want to learn how to let go of the past once and for all?

Your feet carry a lot of energy. How do I know this? Keep reading.

When I lived in Chandler, Arizona (heaven), I attended the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts free Gifts and Graces event which is held on the first Friday of every month from 6 pm – 7:30 pm. Attendees, like me, were treated to various motivational speakers who spoke about topics ranging from life coaching to connecting with your angels.

KC Miller, the founder of Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, would often speak during Gifts and Graces. KC is also a toe reader. Yes, your read that correctly. She’s a certified toe reader. Cool, huh?

According to KC, “the toes are windows to your soul.” By reading a person’s toes, a toe reader can tell if they’re on the right path. By looking at a person’s feet, a toe reader can tell if they’re on the right path and what type of life they’ve had thus far.

You may have read about cell memory. Well, your feet and toes are made up of cells. If you neglect your mind and body, your feet will tell the story. If you’ve had a hard life, your feet and toes will tell the story.

You can run, but you can’t hide! Your feet take you everywhere.

This got me thinking about my own feet and toes. I never had a pedicure.

Crazy, right?

I think I watched too many videos on manicures and pedicures gone wrong which held me back from getting a pedicure.

Anyway … I decided to treat myself to a ‘Spa Pedicure’ and see what the fuss was about. I booked an appointment at Studio Zia. They’re in Parma, Ohio. If you’re in the area, book a pedicure. It was unbelievable!

I watched Chelsea (nail technician) work on my feet, I remembered what KC Miller said about our feet and toes. I wondered; could a pedicure help all of us let go of the past and move forward in our lives?

Keep reading to find out…

How to Let Go of the Past with a Pedicure

how to let go, how to let go of the past, how to let go with a pedicure

A pedicure can help you let go of the past.         Photo credit: Stock Exchange

When you get a ‘Spa Pedicure,’ your feet are treated to a warm bath in a bubbling foot massage tub. The vibration from the foot tub is wonderful. You’ll unwind in no time.

FYI: What I liked at Studio Zia is they have one pedicure station. I was able to relax and fully appreciate the pedicure. You may want to look for a salon that has one pedicure station. This way you’ll have the full attention of the nail technician and won’t be distracted by other clients.

Chelsea worked on one foot at a time.

My feet were rubbed and my toes were trimmed, filed, and cleaned. Luckily, my cuticles weren’t that bad. At least, I didn’t think they were.

The best part of the pedicure was the exfoliating and foot mask. Who knew there was a mask for your feet?

As my feet were being cleaned with the foot file, I was amazed by the dead skin that was falling off. It made me think that I was releasing my past and letting go of that which did not serve me anymore.

After all, if you hold onto the past, how can you move forward?

My feet were exfoliated with a great smelling product, and again, I couldn’t help but think of everything that I was releasing. The gunk from my past was being removed — it was being rubbed out. After I rinsed my feet, Chelsea applied the foot mask, and I felt as if my feet were being sealed and protected with positive vibes.

After the foot mask was removed, it was time to polish my toe nails. I chose a pretty gold color (my other choice was green). Gold symbolizes happiness, power, strength, success, true friendships, wealth, and prosperity. Some believe wearing gold everyday increases courage and promotes personal power and willpower.

Choosing the gold color for my toe nails was my way of sending my feet a message that I want them to carry me forward onto the path of health and wellness, courage, wealth, success, true friendships/relationships, prosperity, and abundance.

There you have it! A pedicure can help you let go of the past and move your life forward.

Don’t believe me?

Try it for yourself.

Get a pedicure.

Book an appointment today. 

Can You Catch Depression?

Depression can be a peculiar disorder, especially for those who’ve never been depressed a day in their life. What happens when you’re feeling depressed? Are the feelings truly yours? Or, do they belong to someone else? Can you ‘catch’ depression like you catch a cold?

Below are some tips to help you deal and interact with the depressed people in your life:

7 Steps to Interacting with the Depressed People in Your Life
Depression (emotion )

Depression (emotion ) (Photo credit: Andreas-photography)

Notice when your feelings are off.

If your home environment has been turned upside down, and you find yourself living with someone who’s depressed, you could experience emotional highs and lows. Step back and ask yourself, “Are these my feelings?” You may be surprised to find out that they’re not your feelings.

If you’re empathetic, you become like a sponge and absorb the feelings of others. It’s important to clear yourself and energy field every day. You could meditate; take sea salt baths, etc. to rid yourself of lower energies that are not yours.

Stay positive.

There’s no reason for you to stifle your upbeat, positive attitude. Be who you are, even when you’re around those who are in a state of depression.

Send them love and light.

You don’t have to totally cut-off the depressed people in your life. Send them lots of love and light and try to uplift their spirits.

Don’t take anything personally.

This can be easier said than done. But try not to take things personally. If someone says something nasty to you, know that it has nothing to do with you. People usually say things out of aggravation and frustration.

Laugh!

Laughter really is the best medicine. Watch comedies or listen to comedy records. Watch funny YouTube videos! Do whatever you can to laugh and shift your mood when you’re around someone who’s depressed.

Have an attitude of gratitude.

Be thankful that you’re not in a state of depression. You probably have no idea what the depressed people in your life are going through. Be as understanding as you can and don’t fall into the trap of trying to ‘fix’ everyone’s problems. You can’t fix it.

Consult with a psychologist or counselor.

It wouldn’t hurt to speak to a professional if you’re surrounded by people who are depressed. You could learn how to deal the people in your life who are depressed and learn more about depression. The more you know the better you’ll be able to understand why and how someone becomes depressed.

Related Articles on Depression