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Be In Charge Of Your Joy

My most recent article invited the readership to rise above the daily dose of negativity that envelopes us. “Easy to say, hard to do,” some may respond. And even though I extend this invitation, it doesn’t suggest that I hold the secret to success. A commitment to reformatting our thinking is a lifetime process.

Studies viewed in the media and in professional journals speak to a growing problem of depression and anxiety symptoms. In the past, this was once viewed as a concern for a minority of people referred to as mentally ill who resided in the back wards of psychiatric hospitals. Currently, emotional and mental well-being matters touch people of all ages, religions and ethnic groups. While countless numbers see therapists and psychiatrists, many do not. Many people suffer in silence while operating as a functional human being. The number of people taking daily doses of psychiatric medications is staggering. Stated in earlier articles, our vast and wealthy country is the world leader, by far, in medication consumption for depression and anxiety. Keep in mind, don’t fall into the trap of generalizing or globalizing each person’s symptoms. Each person lives his or her life uniquely.

Lately, I’ve noticed that news reporters occasion a tease of an upbeat story. I enjoy watching the reporter’s countenance brighten even for the brief moment. Likened to a child with a new and wonderful toy, I find myself sharing that tidbit of information with anyone who’ll listen. Oddly, yet not surprisingly, the responses I receive are genuinely met with apathy. ”That’s great,” stated incongruently is generally what I experience. I wonder if we’ve become anesthetized as a defense to news no matter the intensity.

Let me return to my finer point from the last article. I entitled it “Songs of Joy.” I can hear the naysayers, the pundits who’ll equate this ideology to an unrealistic, hippie-dippy, irrational perspective. I accept that notion. Looking within as I’ve invited the readership to do before, ask yourself, do I feel my feelings? Am I a compassionate being and do I demonstrate it behaviorally? Is my heart open? Have I shut down and merely go through the motions of my daily life? Tough questions to ask. We don’t need to beat ourselves senselessly. The question of our emotional-mental-physical and spiritual state is for each individual to answer. I love the saying ”Seek the truth within your own heart.”

While we may struggle to escape the deluge of negativity cast in violence, abuse, hopelessness and helplessness, there’s more than a glimmer of hope for humankind. If we refuse to believe such an ideology, then we’re destined to be ill. I can attest to that experience.

”Songs of joy” can and will, in time, be an inspiration to feel emotions and spirit in our heart and soul. It’s there for the taking. This isn’t to be equated with greed, power and control that will negatively influence ourselves and others. Listen to your inner self. Open your narrow field with joy. Acknowledge stories told to you by newscasters, regular folks, friends and family.

While you are tempted to share the illness of a friend or loved one, the violence and abuse you hear in your daily dose of news, please allow yourself to share loving upbeat stories we often take for granted or even ignore. ”Big deal!” Yes, it is a big deal. those medications may be complemented with a generous daily helping or dose of stories that engage and lift our spirit. Share with others, even your therapist. Make it your story not just something you hear. And yet, share upbeat news. Songs of joy are your own experience.

Allow me to finish with one more personal ”song of joy.” When I was gravely ill years back, I was in denial and not proactive. I irrationally believed my illness would abate on its own. My cat, who regularly sleeps with me, hadn’t for a couple of weeks. I didn’t even miss her. I was so wrapped up in my own world of illness. One especially difficult night I awoke to find my cat at the foot of the bed staring at me. I looked her in the eye and for a moment, I came to my senses, got up and dressed. I then sought medical help on my lengthy journey toward improved health. As I complete this article in my living room, my cat is near me taking in the warmth of the wood stove. I am grateful to her message. Let there be peace and let it begin with me.

Marshall Greenstein holds a master’s degree in marriage and family counseling and is a licensed marriage and family counselor and a licensed mental health counselor in New York state. He has regular office hours at Hutton and Greenstein Counseling Services, 501 E. Third St., Suite 2B, Jamestown, 484-7756. For more information or to suggest topics, email editorial@post-journal.com.

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