Depression is a word that seems to be thrown around a lot, right along with "anxiety." It's strange to think that these words could be used so loosely since there's a lot of meaning behind them. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that our perception of these words is light toned. Part of the problem is that people are misusing and representing what the words actually define. Some people label themselves as depressed even if they're just having a bad day. Depression and anxiety are without a doubt a real thing and should alwaysbe taken seriously.
I have friends who struggle with depression and anxiety, and it always sucks to see them going through a really low time. I try and find things that'll cheer them up and offer support when they need it. But sometimes, it's just hard.
Well, today, I stumbled upon this video.
Now the title seems a little harsh, but trust me, what this guy is saying is so truthful. In the first few seconds, it seems as though he's mocking those who classify themselves as depressed, but give it a chance. Trust me.
The man in the video is called Prince Ea, here's his Facebook page. Who knows how long he's been around, but he's pretty influential. He also has a YouTube channel full of videos. From what I've read, he's pretty awesome. Queen Latifah and even the one and only Oprah Winfrey have endorsed him as "inspirational" and "powerful".
In case you haven't watched the video, I'll give you a quick run down.
Basically, he starts off by saying that we are the sky, and depression, frustration and sadness are just passing clouds that come and go. Even though we may think so, they aren't the sky, because we are. If we were these things, then when they go away, we would go away too. But we don't, because we are the sky, and the sky never goes away.
Does this make sense?
He goes into another analogy, but you really just have to watch it to understand. The video has subtitles so you can watch it without sound if necessary..
While wrapping up the video, he reminds us that we face big problems when we identify ourselves as depression, and that we shouldn't identify ourselves as something that comes and goes. Because, he concludes, we are greater than anything that comes and goes.
I found this to be a really helpful video, and I think it's worth the watch. It's just a simple reminder that we are in control of ourselves, whether we believe it or not, and that we are way stronger than we tend to think.