mindset – Nice Timing

Depression, loneliness, despair.
Most people have been there —

Sorry, the rhymes were meant to start further down.

Let’s look at what you can you do,
when you’re feeling blue.

Sorry again! I think I’d better get all the poetry out of the way first.

Here goes:

THE BUS TO NOWHERE

Today I could take a holiday
And visit somewhere nice.
Maybe take the bus to Burleigh
(Avoiding Surfers Paradise).

I’d go down by the sea
Where the breeze blows on my face,
And then buy a cup of coffee
In a certain lonely place.

Then walk up to the bluff lookout
To see the blue sea, blue sky sights.
And stare down at the rocks
From dizzy, dangerous heights.

And I’d consider all the seagulls
And I’d make my mind up not to fall.
They fly around forever.
But I don’t fly at all.

Then… I’d walk back to the bus stop
Feeling hardly any pain.
Some days, I take a bus to nowhere
Then I come back home again.

As you may be able to tell, I can relate to feeling blue.

I’ve had years of unemployment with no car and a bad back…
I’ve been married three times, divorced twice, with my second marriage lasting only two weeks. We had a great honeymoon. Immediately afterwards, this beautiful lady sent me out on an errand, then dumped all my furniture and things on the pavement outside the unit, and when I returned she told me I couldn’t come back inside – all without any argument or warning!
It broke my heart…
Although I’ve lived in a mansion, I’ve also lived in substandard housing, with cockroaches crawling over me when they came out of every crevice overnight, even after using insect spray bombs!
I know what it’s like to feel deeply lonely and depressed.

Before I talk about what you can do to shake the blues, here’s what not to do.

Don’t commit suicide, fast or slow… don’t take drugs, don’t take booze, and don’t throw your life away.

Whatever doesn’t build you up will generally tear you down, so don’t be stupid.

Excluding medical help, which is totally outside the scope of this article, here are

FOUR IDEAS FOR BEATING THE BLUES:

1) Change your scenery or location

2) Change your plan

3) Change your thinking

4) Get Supernatural help!

A change of scenery may only be a temporary fix, as illustrated in my poem. But it may help, because it can change your mood and give you time to reevaluate things. Sometimes stuff just takes time to work through. As the Bible says, weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)

A change of plan You need hope, and having a plan can give you hope. You need to get a vision for yourself of what could be, not what is. Again, to quote the Bible, where there is no vision, the people perish. (Proverbs 29:18) There are lots of books about goal setting, and they might help, but just ask yourself, What’s the next step I can take in order to make things better? That’s how you begin to make a plan. Take it from there.

A change of thinking Negative thinking will take you deeper into depression. Although your thinking may seem like it’s on autopilot, you can steer your thoughts if you really want to – your thoughts are actually choices you’re making! So – begin by refusing to dwell on any negative thoughts and choose to focus on the things you can do to make your life better. Be thankful for every asset you have. It may take a little effort to change your thought habit patterns, but it works better than any pill in the long run.

Bible quote time: In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God. (1 Thes. 5:18)

And another one: Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2)

Finally, the book of Jeremiah has a reputation for being negative, yet it also has positive messages. Here’s a verse worth noting:

Jer 29:11 I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for well-being, and not for calamity, in order to give you a FUTURE and a HOPE. (ISV)

God can work in your life also, to give YOU a future and a hope.

Supernatural Help

You can also beat the blues and change your life by moving up to a higher level of existence. This involves leaning on God for help. If you are in a dry, empty place, you can lean on God to help you. I’ve written more about this on my page about How to be Safe in a Time of Trouble.

Change your thinking, change your mindset, and you can change your life, especially with Supernatural help.

If you do find yourself on a bus to nowhere, make sure you get home safely.

More about my background

In 1988 I wrote this poem about Australia’s bicentenary:

OZ BICENTENARY

Here’s to the lucky country
Here’s to the land of beers
And all that water under the bridge
Now we’ve come 200 years.

As Australians individually
A few of us are sus’
But as a nation on the whole
There are no flies on us!

We have our flags and anthems
Our fauna, and our birds
Our dingoes and our yowies
Our drongos, and our nerds.

But, I’m proud to be Australian
Proud of our tall gum trees
And 200 years of history
Tho’ I come from overseas!

Actually, this is not true… I’m actually 100% Australian by birth.

Also, I’m NOT proud of Australia’s history, or Australia’s lying politicians!

More…

I’ve had some great life experiences and opportunities.

I’ve owned several cars and houses, and mainly lived in Victoria and Queensland. I’ve travelled to Asia as well, living in Thailand for 3 months.

This is me in Asia.

And here are some
shots I took
of transportation
in Asia.

One of my hobbies is photography,

and turning photography into art.

Some photos are skill, others are luck. The ancient Greeks considered dolphins to be a sign of good luck. Then again, some people think the number 7 is good luck. In 2019 I photographed both items of luck together. Seven dolphins in one wave.

It was just a lucky shot!