Life is full of different events, moods, and circumstances. Sometimes we’re happy, other times sad. We may even get depressed here and there. I believe that each of us goes through a variety of emotions as we live day to day, week to week, and year to year. It is this which I wish to talk about and hopefully generate some perspective on. I hope by reading that you will better be able to put into perspective your lives and further orient yourself towards happiness.

 

There is a weather map here.  As you can see on the weather map, there are ‘fronts’ displayed on the United States, Canada, and Mexico.  There are cold fronts (the blue lines with triangles) and warm fronts (the red lines with circles).  Cold fronts are masses of cooler and dryer air.  Warm fronts are masses of warmer air.  The effects of a warm front can mean warmer and nicer weather, while a cold front can bring a drop in temperature with uncomfortable effects.  Both warm and cold fronts play a large role in the weather we experience each and every day.

 

I would like to talk about each of our lives as we experience shifts in weather as it pertains to our situations, state of being, and perspective.  I believe there are many ‘fronts’ we each experience and understanding and properly interpreting them is a key for understanding and getting through life in a positive manner.

 

Warm Fronts

 

There are times in life when the weather seems perfect.  Everything is going well.  Perhaps you just got your dream job and are making lots of money.  Maybe you just won a basketball game that you worked hard for.  Or maybe you just met the man/woman of your dreams and nothing could be better.  Take a moment and really think about your life and all the good things that have happened.  I hope that this takes a while and that you’ve been blessed with many good things.  Think about how good you felt during those good things.  Now let me share with you a few things about this.

 

While wonderful things are happening, take a look at one constant thing – yourself and a perspective of yourself and others.  Even though things may be good for you, others may be in a worse off position.  How thankful are you at that time for your health, success, and happiness?  Look at what has brought on the wonderful things in your life.  Even take time to see that if some of the things that appear to be good are actually disguised or covering up something that is bad.  It’s very easy to be on ‘cloud 9′ or in a euphoric state during wonderful things.  While I am not advocating not getting excited, I recommend to you to always keep a sense of realism and understanding, no matter how good things seem to be going.  Always keep yourself in check and be happy with what you have, but never content.

 

Cold Fronts

 

Sometimes in life, the weather gets gloomy, the cold sets in, and things just seem to be off.  Take a moment and think about your life.  Think about some of the negative things that have happened.  I don’t mean for you to dwell on these things, but it is important to realize them.  Perhaps you’ve had a nasty divorce or two.  Maybe you just lost a great job.  Or you lost the basketball game you worked so hard for.  Maybe your health is suffering.  There are a slew of things that can go wrong in life.

 

Again, take a look at yourself when things are going wrong.  I have no doubt that most people can figure out how things went wrong.  Maybe you were not assertive or educated enough while at a job interview, which cost you a job.  Perhaps you have been neglecting your spouse and they have grown distant from you.  Whatever the turmoil is, there is a reason it is there.  And you can most often look at yourself to see why it is there.  Keep a level head and maintain happiness even when things are gloomy.  I myself am in a ‘cold front’ right now (as of Aug. 21 2008).  I don’t have a full time job, money is very tight, and my wife’s insurance is about up.  I am doing the best I can to rectify this situation.

 

Maintaining Perspective

 

I spent a couple years in Ireland many years ago from 1997 – 1999.  I was there on a service mission for church.  My family paid for this.  Not only that, I spent many days in the rain, getting drenched as I went around trying to help other people.  At around the age of 20, it was very hard for me to keep perspective.  Trudging around in the rain just plain sucked!  Many years later, it is now funny how I love to be in the rain for long periods of time!

 

The perspective to have here is that even things which appear awful or gloomy in life, may not be so.  I hurt my left hand in high school during basketball season.  At first I was very frustrated.  It was my left hand and I am left handed.  However, after a few weeks, I had used my right hand so much, that I gained some skill using my right hand.  Being able to use both hands in basketball is a very beneficial skill.  There is a saying that it is always darkest before the dawn.  I do believe that when challenges are hitting and things are going rough, that this is the storm that must be weathered until the calm arrives and great things start happening. I will not be surprised if the things in my life which are rough right now turn into some wonderful things happening in the months ahead.

 

The same calm and optimistic demeanor that is necessary during bad times must also be had during the good times.  I am convinced that the more we can keep the same composure when things are going good or bad, the more we will have perspective and be able to handle any situation.  Whether you have millions of dollars and a happy family, or you are struggling to make ends meet, take a look at yourself.  Be thankful – understand the good and bad.  Do what you can to correct the bad things in your life.  I know that with faith, determination, and patience, that life can be managed, endured, learned from, and ultimately prosperous.

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There is a creature of legend that is portrayed as a monster with either a curse or disease.  This creature is not necessarily evil, but the creature is very violent.  The result of this creature is always a human who turns into it.  I am talking about werewolves.  Once a human transforms into a werewolf, all sense of reality becomes distorted and a killing machine with no remorse is created.  A silver bullet is usually used to kill a werewolf when it is too much of a danger, thus ending the terror it is causing.  You can read more about werewolves here.

 

I do not wish to give my readers nightmares, however, the werewolf is very applicable for what I am about to tell you.  And the majority of people that are reading this are likely people who work at a day job.  Some of you may not be in that situation.  This information is still useful for you as you can apply it to your every day lives, in addition to your day job. The werewolf is what you turn into when your job consumes you with negativity. I will show you how to put an end to that with some silver bullets.

 

First off, ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you happy where you are working?
• Are the people you work with ones with integrity, who uplift, and are smart?
• Are your managers respectable people who are understanding?
• Are the owners of your company smart and good leaders who work hard to make the compay do well?
• Have you been at your job for over 10 years with no real increase in pay, position, or value?
• Do you feel fulfilled when you come home each day from work?
• Are you constantly improving yourself and your skills?
• Are you happy working at a day job?

 

The Silver Bullets

 

I’ve talked in several other articles about the day job blues, what to do when you want to leave a company after you’ve been there for a while, but I want to go into great detail about what you can do and plan to do to get yourself into a position where work is no longer a burden.  With that, here are the silver bullets, with certain scenarios, and how to use the silver bullet to destroy it.

 

Current Day Job Situations

 

The first thing I want to talk about is current situations people are faced with in their jobs and those people’s attitudes.  It is very necessary to describe situations because knowing these situations gives more meaning and understanding to what I am talking about.  Most of you reading this want to know what the situations are so you can relate to other people and this is very important.

 

When I was in college, I did data entry for a library company.  I would sit at the computer and enter information that was on a second monitor, which contained an image of a library card.  This information had to be entered into a dusty, cob-webbed system that ran on an ancient computer.  It was tedious work and I got paid $7.50 an hour for it.  But it was in 1999, and it helped me get through college.  The job was horrendous for me – I love to be creative and this was anything but.

 

The silver bullet in this case is that some situations require just grinding through the job because eventually there is a light at the end of a tunnel.  This is true if you are going to college and are planning on upgrading your job, but you need something to make ends meet.  To those of you in this situation, just try and get the most out of your job that you can, be positive and optimistic, know that you are taking the right steps, and know that the job won’t last forever.

 

Dead End Jobs

 

Some of you may be at a job where you have just grinded out the same work year after year with no results.  Look at my above questions and you will know if this applies to you.  If so, are you really content with this happening?  I see some people that even though they say they hate their job, but because the job pays reasonably enough and gets them by each month, no effort is made to ugprade.  After all, they’ve worked their a while and who else is going to pay them as much as they’ve been raised to where they are at.

 

This is a dangerous way of thinking and will make you stay stagnant and in 5 years, 10 years, you will be exactly where you are today.  Again, if you are fine with that, then what I’m saying doesn’t apply to you.  But deep down, I hope those of you reading are not fine with that.  Can you really say that you’ve lived a happy, full, and abundant life while working at a job you don’t like for 20 or so years?

 

The silver bullet in this case is to take charge and be proactive.  This means getting yourself in order.  I created drjerm.com to help people change their mentality and have a respectful and confident view of themself.  Once you spend significant time working on yourself, I guarantee that you will not want to stay at the drudgery of a day job you don’t like.  You will be interested in doing something you are passionate about, or at least going to a job that makes you feel fulfilled.  So use drjerm.com to better yourself.  Read all the information, apply it.  Then increase your education through online research and schooling (if funds allow).  Try some projects on your own.  Don’t be afraid to fail.

 

The People Your Work With

 

Who are your friends?  Look at my list of questions above about the people you work with.  Are you around people of upstanding character?  Are they honest?  Do they build you up and treat you respectfully?  Do they take time and effort to understand your needs?  At the work place, being around people opposite of these things is bad.  Bad meaning that it is like being sucked into a black hole with teeth where you are getting eaten alive by dark fire ants that seek to consume your whole body.  When you start to realize that people who do not share your same uplifting values are a danger to you, then the silver bullet is ready for you.

 

The silver bullet is that once you have changed yourself, you will seek out people of character, both in the work place and in your friendship circle (those people you hang out with or spend some time with).  Being with people like this provides energy, enthusiasm, and the ability to handle trials and obstacles.  These people are not judgmental and they do not have their own agendas.  When you increase your skills and education, in addition to improving yourself, you will be able to move to a job that is much more condusive to positive growth and feeling fulfilled.

 

Feeling Fulfilled With Work

 

Lastly, look at the level of fulfillment that you get at your job.  Do you feel like you contribute something worthwhile?  Do you feel like you make a difference?  If you just feel like a drone who is doing robotic work that has no real lasting impact, this should be a warning sign.  The werewolf is taking form and the silver bullet should be at the ready to slay it.

 

The silver bullet is this: Look deep within yourself.  Find out what you are passionate about and are good at.  I talk about this on drjerm.com.  It’s discovering your destiny and creating your legacy.  This means striding towards what you feel you are meant to do.  I am reading about ‘The Rock’, Dwayne Johnson, right now.  He felt deep inside that wrestling was what he was supposed to do.  But it was not before he experienced MUCH hardship and tribulation.  In the end, he made the leap of faith, worked extremely hard, and became the success that he is today.

 

I can promise that if you spend effort striving to do what you are passionate about and good at, the you will eventually find success with it.  There will likely be much trial and tribulation before you find success.  But I’ve seen in people that when they follow their heart and their mind together for their work, that success is the eventual end product.

 

Final Thoughts

 

I know that no matter what you do for work, there are days that are tough, even if you are doing what you love.  We live in a mortal world.  Challenges happen, and we aren’t always up to the task each day.  But I do know that with a change of mind set, hard work, and dedication, that our job situations will turn into favorable circumstances that will help us feel fulfilled.

 

In the end, you will put an end to this monstrous creature, this werewolf. The ravages that the werewolf causes will be a forgotten memory, and your career can be one of happiness and success. This werewolf is a frightening image. It should give you cause to think. I hope that you have this same cause to think when it comes to living a happy, full, and abundant life. And one of the ways to do that is by having a fulfilling career. I know you can do it!

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You can overcome depression today! Read on to understand simple facts about depression, how to realize when you are depressed, and what you can do to overcome depression.

 

First off, there may be situations where physical and chemical body reactions are causing depression in a way that I currently do not comprehend.  As such, physical and medical depression, while I believe conquerable, is another topic for another day.  The focus of this page will be a different view on what general depression is and some tips for overcoming your depression.

 

I created drjerm.com for the purpose of discovering your destiny and creating your legacy.  It is a place that seeks to inform, inspire, and educate.  To this end, let’s discuss some simple facts about depression as they relate to discovering your destiny and creating your legacy, and everything that goes with that.

 

Simple Facts About Depression

 

You are depressed if you are doing anything in your life which hinders you from living your dreams.  Let me repeat this again.  You are depressed if you are doing anything in your life which hinders you from living your dreams.  Your dreams should be your passion, the deepest desires of your heart, the things you want the most, and are the best at.  Look at your life today.  Let’s take a look at the depressing things that often take away from this.

 

For me, my dream is to have this website be the number one resource for inspiring and educating people to pursue their passions as they discover their destiny and create their legacy.  I also have a dream of raising a successful family, keeping in great shape, and a number of other things.  For you, you may want to sing at Broadway, produce movies, or become a famous chef.  Here is a list of things which take away from our dreams:

 

• Hesitation when opportunities present themselves
• Not getting excited about good things happening
• Pessimistic about most things
• Getting offended easily
• Constantly worrying about what others think of you
• Focusing on the bad in situations
• Giving up when things get tough

 

Simply examine yourself.  This list is but a few of the things to be looked at.  If you find yourself doing anything related to this, please stop and look at yourself.  Depression binds us and keeps us from living to our potential.

 

A Quick Myth About Depression

 

Depression is more than just not liking yourself or not being excited about life.  In 1929, the United States began facing what was called ‘The Great Depression‘.  This was a time of immense collapse of economics and industry.  The country faced a major crisis.  There are many theories as to what the cause of depression at this time was.  Some of these were debt, gold standard collapse, over production of goods, and a breakdown in trading.

 

Without going into too much details of the causes, the depression happened because the country did not do the things to prepare itself against it.  Depression is the hindering of achieving true potential.  Anything taking away from this is depression.  In a sense, most of use living today are depressed to some degree.  Otherwise we would all be full time pursuing our dreams.  Yes, this isn’t easy as there are bills to pay and a slew of other obstacles to overcome.

 

A myth about depression is that it can’t be avoied in most cases.  I come from a family where people are depressed.  That’s just the reality of the situation.  I can see that depression runs in my family and is genetically inherited.  I have physical and chemical depression hit me, and I know when it happens.  I feel down, not excited, and unable to take action.

 

THE MOMENT THIS HAPPENS, I tighten up my armor, grab my weapons, and beat back the depression beast.  I slay the depression dragon right there and then.  All negative thoughts are purged.  Just because I have a chemical reaction, does not take away the fact that I am smart, talented, and capable.  You can do the same.  Do not let your depression determine your course of action!

 

How do I Know if I Am Depressed?

 

I’d like to present some situations that will help you know if you are depressed.  I’ve given facts about depression, but let’s look at some real world scenarios that will likely (not always, but most of the time) mean you are depressed.

 

• You come home from work/school each day, eat junk food and plop yourself in front of the TV.  You do this for several hours most days.  You stay up late, and wake up very tired in the morning.
• Someone tells you that you are doing a good job or look nice.  Inside, you shrug your shoulders and say something to the effect of ‘yeah right’
• Someone offers aid to you – particularly when you need it, but you stubbornly refuse it.  Or you do not let people know when you really need assistance (severe physical pain or other ailments)
• Whenever you seek to be proactive, your mind wanders, you surf the net, start watching tv, or get distracted in some other way
• At school, the teacher calls on you, and you immediately get frightened with a panic attack.  You are not comfortable being the center of attention
• You see a guy/girl that you like and realize there’s no way they will like you.  Or you see another guy/girl and are jealous because everyone likes them and they don’t have difficulty with relationships

 

In a way, it bothers me to say this, but excessive TV equals depression.  If you are sitting in your room, or lounging in the family room watching tv all the time you are wasting your life away.  Your view of yourself isn’t very high.  You are in a depressed state.  Forgive my bluntness in this, but I know from experience how living like this can distort reality.

 

Look at the other situations here.  None of them have proactivity or positivity.  They are just flat out depressing to read.  But all the situations can be overcome with changing the view you have of yourself.  Realize that you are smart, that you can make things happen with simple choices.  Choose to stand up and leave the tv room.  Start by just doing something else, like going for a walk outside.  Smile and be confident! 

 

Depression Can Be Overcome

 

You can overcome deperssion, I have no doubt about it.  I can tell you how I’ve overcome depression.  I talk good to myself, I know I am smart.  I produce wonderful work.  I have a terrific wife and daughter.  I know I can do whatever I set my mind to.  I love to exercise and eat right – I am at my ideal and correct weight.  I feel terrific!

 

I wasn’t always like this.  Many years ago, I beat myself up, said how dumb I was, watched tv all the time, was not proactive, was passive around everybody.  I was about fifty pounds overweight.  I complained and was depressed.  Times have since changed.  All it took was a choice!

 

With a little effort, faith, different view of yourself, and some smart choices, you can begin to slay your depression.  Don’t just read this and fall back into the depression trap.  I plead with you to just spend time on building yourself up, and taking time doing productive and worthwhile things.  I know you can do it!

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