Selflessness

Not too long ago I got to give a little talk during our ward's monthly Relief Society meeting on the topic of 'Overcoming the Winter Blues.' Guess I needed to hear it most, cause sure as sure I'm not the expert on the topic!

Toward the end of the talk, someone asked a question: Really, HOW do you force yourself to do things like go out for a walk when you simply don't feel like doing anything at all? HOW do you honestly shake a sense of depression? Well, the answer I gave and some others kinda chimed in on as well, was about as lame as it gets: You Just DO. You find it inside somewhere, somehow and you just DO.

I've thought a lot about my lack of answer since then. And if I could go back to that moment again, I think I'd say something to the extent of this:

When you don't feel like doing anything, what is it that motivates you to move from that point eventually? When I've had two hours of sleep for three nights in a row and I want to do about anything but build another block tower or accomplish the housework, sometimes, yes, the yuckiness prevails and we watch Netflix non-stop. But more often, the fact that I care more about my husband not coming home to a war zone and a smelly wife; about my boys being fulfilled and taught to the degree they deserve; about life getting at least a bit closer to the ideals I once had, than I do about how tired I am, gets me to accomplish more and shake the negative. I can overcome when I'm not focused on ME.

And the more I think about it, I really think, indeed, it could be said, Selflessness Solves Everything; the Solution if Selflessness, across the board in life. Of course I could go on and on, but the point is really to think about it for yourself I guess... The next time you contend with depression or with conflict or dis-ease, test it out: what is it that you care more about than yourself, that will motivate you to move?

You can click on these images and then right click to save and print an 8 x10 :)
Mine's going on my bathroom mirror.