Sometimes it is great to be busy.  Right now is one of those times.

I am an electrician, although currently unemployed!  So I have to find a job.  In the meantime I have been spending all my minutes on the study of psychology and the arts too.  My hours are dedicated to my children.

The short of it is that I have a few moments to blog today.  VERY important moments.

I thought about my last blog, and it is fine to discuss nirvana.  What I missed discussing is the more obvious: Nirvana and the death of Kurt Cobain.  At the other end of the spectrum, and sometimes closely related to ‘nirvana’ is severe depression and suicide.  It has the potential to rob the lives of the people we love – like Kurt.

I believe that the mindfulness that focusses on the present – as well as mindfulness of good memories, potential for good moments in the future, and even fantasy (as I discuss in my last blog) – can help a person with depression.  There is no absolute solution, but education on ‘mindfulness’ is one great avenue for self-management.  In bipolar disorder a person may swing from the height of mania, or even a sense of nirvana – to the lows of depression.  Balance is so important to achieve, and self-management strategies including mindfulness can be the key to success and content.  Other important strategies are: having a balanced, nutritious diet, getting exercise, getting the right amount of sleep, avoiding substance use and taking prescribed medication.  There are many other strategies as well.  One of the key strategies that people with mood disorders use is expression (i.e. in the form of creativity). Even if this is not a ‘strategy’ per se, it is a part of life where people find inspiration. With help: the artistic side can also lead to balance. All the while that people are finding this balance: the rewarding product of music, or visual art is developed and recognized.

As time is limited today, I have drawn on a poem from my past (years ago) to insert here:

Sensible

My future is painted here and there

With brush in hand, I’m taking care

Sometimes my design is so hard to see

Sometimes the easel is so hard to see

Sometimes the painting is so hard to see

My future is painted here and there,

It’s a collaboration – I’m quite aware,

Sometimes the artists are so hard to see

Sometimes my partners are hard to see

Sometimes (my) God is so hard to see

Listen to the sound of the falling rain

Listen to the sound of the passing train

Can you see the bird singing in the trees?

Can you see the leaves caught up in the breeze?

Listen to the wind as the cars pass by

Can you hear the roadside sigh?

My future is waiting here and there

With that in mind, I’m taking care

Sometimes the right way is so hard to see

Sometimes the pathway is so hard to see

Sometimes the road is so hard to see

Watching all the places as I pass by,

Watching all the faces as I pass by,

When will I stop to wander?

Where will I stop I wonder?

Where we stop to wander is very important.  Having a strong social network and company (family, friends) is paramount for me.  Sometimes we are still alone, and this is an important time to have options.  I do what I need to do to get by and find ways to be content.  That means taking time for myself to enjoy creativity.  When the process may start out seeming boring or saddening, I try to focus on the small details, focus on what is interesting and focus on the next moment of content.  Life is a journey.  No destination is final, even if we are stuck in one spot.  When we can think of ways to be content, we can be content.  Even when we are standing still, the journey goes on and there will always be a chance to see the art in it, and to find rewards in what we do.  Thinking is freedom, or thinking in new ways can allow freedom and content.