Periods of depression are common.  I have been asked to discuss it.  Let me begin by saying that I have observed over and over again that proper meditation is the greatest cure. Depression is primarily physiological. Proper diet and exercise also help greatly.

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But what about behavioral causes of depression?  Depression is the result of suppressed flow of life force.  There are multiple motivations to stifle your life flow.

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You may have imposed upon yourself a strict value system that is in actuality not in harmony with truth – not in harmony with your true nature and the true nature of life.

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Always trying to do the right thing can be most depressing if in actuality it is not really the right thing for you.  Take care to not devote your life to invalid notions.  You may tell yourself it is valid, but deep inside, where it really counts, you know better.

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You may be more image-conscious than you realize… acting and behaving in a manor that is not your true nature in the name of how you may appear to others.  Proper manners is one thing, but to depress your true nature in the name of a facade you feel will win people over, is quite another.

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Second guessing yourself is another common cause.  You may be unable to make a decision fearing it will be wrong.  Whatever you do, you wonder if you should have made another choice.  You tie yourself up in knots and end up depressed.

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Judging yourself based upon an internalized standard is always depressing. Standards are external.  Internalizing anything external causes depression. Use the external as an aid to explore your inner being, but not as an imposition upon it.  Freedom, joy, and fulfillment come from within.

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The list goes on and on.  However, there is one cause underlying them all – fear.  To discover what depresses you, ask your self what you are afraid of.

Then ask yourself how you impose restriction upon your life as a result of that fear.

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This exploration is not to be taken lightly or acted upon too impulsively.  It is a process.  But rest assured that freeing your self, i.e. living your true nature, is the only path there is to fulfillment.

© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.