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Something I hold close

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    Something I hold close

    I have likely been living with depression (type I bi-polar) for many years, possibly 2 or more decades. And more recently with melancholic depression. Also PTSD from military service, which my doctor thinks masked my depression for many, many years. I often thought about ending my pain, and I would reflect on these words:

    "To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

    I think it got me away from the edge of the abyss on more than one occasion. When I would look back on my life, I would realize, if only for a moment, that I was not as worthless as I felt. That I had succeeded, in some small way. Even today, as I write this, I struggle to remind myself that the darkness is encroaching and I need to check my tether to reality; not as the abyss wants me to see it, a failure in everything, but as somebody who has touched many lives in a positive way. Perhaps these words can help others, as they have helped me.

    #2
    Thanks for sharing this Melancholy Man.
    AJ

    Humans punish themselves endlessly
    for not being what they believe they should be.
    -Don Miguel Ruiz-

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      #3
      Thank you for the quote, Melancholy Man. I can see why it has been instrumental in keeping you alive. It strikes me as kind of an antidote to the worthlessness depression is known for.
      uni

      ~ it's always worth it ~

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        #4
        love the quote. We have all succeeded according to it.

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