Ive been in a bit of a funk lately, as I have been working through some emotional stuff. So I thought it might be a good time to talk a little about the importance of working out our stuff. We all have drama in our lives, bad things happen and seemingly outway the good. The reason I think its a good idea to work through our issues is that it really affects how we precieve the world and respond to it. To give a an example of a perception would be not seeing how many options we really have because whatever is happening is clouding up the view of those options. Gives a sort of tunnel vision. This is something I have experienced myself. Some reccomendations with dealing with issues that keep popping up in ones life is to take a step back look at the big picture, see what this issue is connected to. Take yourself out of the issue  and try to look at it as if you were an another person watching happen. Remember you always have choices. Finally try to do the next thing. Whatever that next thing is if its walking over to a chair and sitting do it. Then do the next thing after that. Give yourself a break from what is happening. Focus on that next thing  and keep it there. Until your ready to face the issue again.

I am not a pyschologist or a pyschiatrist. However I am a person who has been there and is still struggling with my own issues. I believe there is always hope and that we all can move beyond whatever issues we may have. Also its pretty hard to relax when we have something bugging us. Though Im

sure thats something everyone notices.

Mini-Post

Having some trouble figuring out how to respond to comments.

However I really appreciate what has been said.

Thank you Ant and Fresh Garden :)

One thing that I have found works for calming oneself during a time of depression, is movies. Not just
any movies, these movies have to take you to your happy place. They can be heartwarming or comedic,
as long as they can reduce the feelings of sadness/or stress inside. The movie will fit the bill. For me personally, Miyazaki's films are my happy place and also movies that are silly like Megamind. Children's movies are good for this. Recently, I watched Brother Bear and was suprised at what a good movie it was. With the added plus of cheering up. Many of us have access to movies be it through dvds or the interweb. I rent movies off of Itunes from time to time.

In related news. Harry Potter! I have greatly enjoyed the films (also the books) and have gone out of my way to see them in the theatre. So I am very excited to see this one. I hope there is a movie out their that everyone is looking forward to watching.

Ive been making a lot of iced tea, since it is summer afterall. One tea Ive found to be very refreshing on a really hot day is mint. In the specifics its called mint medley which is something I generally enjoy during the winter season. However after trying a flavored water called Metromint and then realizing it was a difficult to find item. I decided I was going to try and find something similarly refreshing. On a really hot day the mint ice tea really hits the spot. I highly reccomended this to those in warmer climates.

Any suggestions on teas that are refreshing during summer?

An example of what I do to relax is growing plants. I have limited space to work with so the plants are all in pots. However, I find that getting to watch a tiny little sprout grow into something magnificent. What is being grown currently is mostly herbs, lemon balm, lavender, peppermint, german chamomile, and anise. First harvests on both the german chamomile and the anise. Currently in the process of drying. Ive successfully made tisanes/herbal teas out of the peppermint and the lemon balm. As I get more herbs, my plan is to begin to make different blends. I also grow some flowers. I have a white rose that has been given the name the snow white by my niece (age 3), also a white peony and another rose much smaller than the white rose it has dark red blooms. I have one tree a cedar that is not large. There once was three, the climate where I live does not suit them. So its been a struggle, I am very grateful to have the one tree doing well. This particular hobby may not suit everybody, though I have found it both relaxing and rewarding.

Alright. I have an admission to make. During the month of june, I allowed my depression to take over my life. I had taken hold of this idea that somehow I have had no accomplishments in my life. Which while this is probably not true, its something that stuck in my head. In response to my depression, I stopped doing the things the I love, the things I should do (like self care), and stopped trying.
Now I need to pull my head out of this web ive got it stuck in. So, Im going to do my best to continue
to try and better myself. Relaxation is key to my self care, as it is not something my body does on its own. (actually taking meds for muscle relaxation.)

Ive gotten some inspiration to try again from some wonderful podcasts so I am going to list them here.

The Pagan Homesteader
Crash Test Kitchen
Buddhist Geeks
Inciting a Riot

Thank you.