Good advice

I'm all about promoting other people, especially when what they say/write totally resonates with me and with what I'm experiencing.  This post from Tiny Buddha called "Uplifting Depression: 15 Unexpected Lessons from Adversity" was one such thing.  In a way, I'm following the lead of this post by blogging through my experiences with depression.

My favorite part of the entry is about the unexpected lessons you can learn from something less than pleasant.  I'm not really in the place to start such a list right now, but I think it is a fantastic idea for the future.  Not only will this list help me reflect on how much I was actually able to learn and gain from this struggle but perhaps it will aid someone else who may stumble upon my blog.

Here are the 15 unexpected lessons:

1. Don’t ignore warning signals in your body. Frequent petty colds, stomach aches, and headaches may all be a sign of stress. 
2. There is no need to be strong all the time, and even less of a need to maintain an image of strength in front of others. 
3. Achievements and titles mean nothing if they’re not something you’re passionate about. 
4. Creativity is therapeutic, and it’s in everyone, just sometimes suppressed. 
5. We need to matter the most to ourselves—over any job promotion, meeting, excel spreadsheet. 
6. Not replying to emails immediately is not the end of the world. 
7. We all need spare time for ourselves—time for solitude and reflection. 
8. It doesn’t matter what everybody else thinks, if we know in our hearts something isn’t right. 
9. Most petty worries aren’t serious. So save some energy. 
10. Everything will be okay in time.
11. Health is the most important thing in the world. 
12. Sometimes it’s best to stop doing so many things, and instead spend more time enjoying what we have. 
13. There is no point in being afraid of the uncertainty because it doesn’t change that the future is uncertain. Leap. 
14. We don’t have to worry about being a disappointment to anyone, because we do not need to live according to anyone else’s expectations of us. 
15. We will all hurt. Embrace the pain, and know that suffering is a choice.