Have you ever felt like the entire world was crumbling right before you? Well, to say the least, I’d like to think everyone on this Earth has experienced it in some sense. These feelings may arise daily, weekly, monthly, or maybe yearly if you believe so. To that I say, those who do not experience these things simply have a different way of approaching them in the mind. We often hear mindset over matter and many of us have in fact heard that saying before. I myself never rationalized or considered its meaning until now. I realized how important the mind was at controlling our emotions, lifestyle, behavior, and relationships. It is easy to get frustrated and angry with the thoughts that arise concerning a stressful, sad, or unfortunate event, but the truth is, you are in control of how you perceive them.  

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 I like to think of this in metaphorical terms as a calm, still lake that reflects the trees and sky above. On a sunny day, its reflection is pure and it seems as though nothing could ever alter the purity of the reflection in the lake itself. Now, when it becomes cloudy or rainy, the reflection in the lake becomes dim and muggy and it feels like the lake has lost its ability to make out the trees and surroundings per say. See, in this sense, we are almost like still, calm water on a sunny day when everything is going smooth and nothing stressful or tumultuous has occurred. However, when the rain or clouds come in then our vision of reality becomes skewed to the point where it is almost impossible to make out a clear picture or even be in touch with the truth of reality.  

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Imagine a time when you were at peace with no worries. I like to think of my favorite childhood memory or the day I got my dachshund and later dachshunds. Whatever that event may be, I want you to think of it and think about how good and happy life felt. A feeling that cannot be expressed in words but can only be compared to the stillness of water in a sense. Now, think about when stress came in and issues arose, how did you feel? Sadness, depression, guilt, and self-doubt are products of life events that make our waters uncalm and in doing so, prevent our own souls from being able to view the beauties of the world. The only way to view the beauty again is for the clouds and rain to subside, which is up to you. You have to decide to take on these feelings straight on so that you can rationalize their upbringing or you can choose to avoid or ignore them so the storm continues.  

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 Not only does being in a stressful state cause emotional turmoil, but it also leads us into the constant attempt or struggle to find happiness where it should not be. I myself was undergoing overwhelming amounts of stress that I lost who I was in short, and I felt that there was no way out. Then, I realized that all of this life we live in is what our minds make it out to be. The water will reflect what is truly surrounding it, but only if the current is still and there are no clouds or rain to impact it. That is how I feel about all of life. When you get stressed or sad, your mind has a way of overthinking in order to compensate for the feelings of sadness which ultimately leads you to worrying and other unhealthy behaviors. Our entire reality of life becomes skewed to where we eventually come to the conclusion that life is not good or that we live in a sad world. I for one used to feel this way when I was studying 12 hours a day and losing long-term friends because of my sole dedication to school and my studies. When I did see my friends, I felt like I had too much to say in too little time because I had isolated myself so much. What I did not realize is that my perception of reality had become hazy and I was pushing people away because I could not see the bright side of it. I could not see the happiness in life. It was the most difficult months for me because I convinced myself that all I had was school, otherwise I would be a failure. That is the power of the mind. It has the power to completely control you, whether it is good or bad. Not only does it control your thoughts, but it has the ability to convince yourself that you are living in a sad world, which is far from true.  

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My point in this post is to express my experience with depression and over-studying that led me to question life. Then, I came to the realization that my present was like turbulent water...no clarity, no direction, and no way to understand what was truly going on around me. Imagine all of the times where you have felt depressed or down, and when people came to help maybe you said yes or maybe you said no. Next time, I recommend saying yes because sometimes it takes another person who is in calm waters to explain the truth about reality. It is all about perspective until you personally lose it. Then, it either takes over your life or you accept a loved one's words because they know your perception of reality has been shaken up. That is why it is so crucial to reach out to someone when you feel down or depressed because sometimes all you are needing is a refresh on reality to get back on track. 

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So, in this blog post my main point is to realize how stress, anxiety, depression and any other similar psychological states have the ability to skew your reality so much so that you close people out and prevent yourself from accepting the bright things in this world. People have always asked me why I am so positive, and I say that it is because I chose to look at negatives or mistakes as a lesson of learning. I chose to shift my thoughts of stress into thoughts of happiness and appreciation so that I could clearly see the beauty around me. If there is one major takeaway from this message it is that self-doubt, self-deprecation, and guilt will only prevent you from ever experiencing true change and from experiencing the true beauty and kindness that this world has to offer.