** Special March announcement, this month saw the publication of the very first book in a six novella dystopian series I’ve been working on since early 2015. It’s only $0.99 on kindle, or FREE if you’re a part of Kindle Unlimited! Check it out!
For the sake of blogging and self-exploration and contemplation, I answer a question a day off of this list.
Today’s question : What lifts your spirits when life gets you down?
My pets, definitely. When you have a history of depression like I do, even if things are going well, some days it just hits you and you really don’t want to get out of bed or do anything and you just feel sad and unmotivated. But my pets need to be fed, they want my attention, and I have to get up and take care of them. Once I’m up, I can usually motivate myself to go on with my day so they really help give me that kickstart I need to get out of bed in the morning.
What else lifts my spirits? Reminders that not everyone is selfish, scheming and emotionally manipulative.
Yesterday, someone made a passing comment to me that I thought was off-putting but I just ignored it and went on with my day. It kept bugging me though, so I very carefully brought it up to someone else and asked for their perspective. Today, that same person said that they thought about what I told them yesterday and it actually upset them quite a bit, and they’re going to bring it up to that person because they’ve noticed that person being rude as well. I was really touched by this because although I’m the kind of person who compulsively stands up for people I care about, I so rarely EVER find others willing to do the same for me. It means a lot to me that I have a friend who cares about me and respects me enough to feel that everyone else around us should treat me with respect as well, and to be willing to be the one to say something about it? Again, not what I’m used to, but it definitely lifted me up and made me feel less alone in the world.
It’s the little things that lift me up; innocent animals needing my help, a small act of kindness from another person, happy endings emerging from shitty situations. In this world you really have to grab on to even the smallest moments and allow their meaning to be a part of you and shape you just as much as the bad moments do. I think it’s very important not to minimize the impact that the smallest gesture of word of kindness can have on someone’s outlook, mood, and day.
Kell Frillman - Author 