The Key to a Happier Society

Utopia.  If you’re not exactly sure what that is, I’ll sum it up for you.  It’s an impractical and imaginary ideal of a perfect society.  It’s something that will never be accomplished because every person has contrasting views on what “perfection” is.  Plus, in my opinion, perfection is something that is impossible to accomplish in our individual lives, let alone on the broader scale of an entire society.  Yet, we are all entitled to dream of our personal utopia, rational or not.  Perfection is impossible; a utopia will never exist for any man or woman.  So, what isn’t impossible? A happier society.  

You see, there have been studies showing that approximately 1 in 10 Americans, 18 or older, suffer from either occasional depression or major depression disorder.  At a time in my life, I could account for being part of that statistic.  I believe that many other issues stem from depression.  A depressed person does not always think with a rational mind and can negatively affect many people around his or her life which could potentially start a snowball effect and lead to more serious issues.  

What is done about this alarming rate of depression?  Well, many people and doctors choose the route of medication.  Antidepressants are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the U.S. Upwards to more than 10 percent of Americans are on some type of antidepressant medication.  These medications pose very serious physical side effects, like shortness of breath, nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite, nervousness, sleeping issues, and many more.  Not only that, but they can also trigger worsened depression, causing suicidal thoughts and manic behavior.  Why are we so quick to medicate these fairly natural issues with pills and unnatural solutions?  Ones that hold the potential to make the given problem even worse (possibly pharmaceutical company profit gains, but that's another topic).  I understand that some people need these medication(s) to battle depression, but I believe more should try other avenues first.  So, you might ask, “How can I fight depression without prescription medication(s)?”  

Different things work for different people, but what worked for me as a great alternative to antidepressants was giving back and helping others.  Helping and giving to others is shown in many studies to correlate with a higher level of happiness.  Doing so gives us a sense of purpose and worthiness within our lives, as I stated in my previous blog post.  Not only did it help treat my depression without the use of drugs, but, more importantly, it left a positive impact on the people around me as well.

Imagine a society where everybody woke up to the very thought of, “I’m going to help somebody today in some way, shape, or form.  Large scale, small scale, or something in between."  Theoretically speaking, everybody would help and be helped.  Donating to charity, lending a helping hand to someone in need, hosting a charity event, welcoming strangers with a smile... I could go on forever.  Imagine a place where people waited patiently and opened doors for you regularly.  A society where people accepted you for who you were so you would never have to act any differently from what was in your heart.  Imagine living on a sphere full of “pleases,” “thank yous” and “you’re welcomes.”  How much happier would it make you to help somebody on a daily basis?  How happy would it make you to know that somebody would be there to help you throughout your struggles?  The latter question is especially something many of us look for in our lives.  Having somebody to talk to or that we can depend on to help us through life's trials and tribulations is something almost all of us long for.  Imagine a world where anybody and EVERYBODY were willing to help one another.  Would that make you more comfortable?  Would that make you happier?

I firmly believe that if more people were willing to help each other, we would face far less societal issues (violence, divorce rates, racism, drug abuse, bullying, etc...).

Other self-help methods that can be used to combat depression include, but are not limited to, lifestyle changes such as:  a healthy diet, regular exercise, and setting short term goals to accomplish in any facet of life.  

This is really just a rant on my part.  To end it, I’ll leave you with a challenge.  Help somebody today.  A friend, a foe, a family member, a stranger… anybody.  Just lend out your hand with help on your mind.  Good day, all.

"If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change."  -Mahatma Gandhi

Until next time…

Check me out on twitter:  @PrallyD

10 Lessons I've Learned in (Slightly Over) a Quarter-Century

I was reflecting a bit the other night and I just wanted to share the things that came to my mind.  Here we go, some lessons that I have learned so far during my short stay on this planet...

1. Santa Claus isn’t real: I don’t care what anybody says, the physics ARE NOT possible. No man of that weight, with that large of a beard, could possibly travel at a speed sufficient enough to cover the entire world in one night. Plus, Second Amendment advocates would probably shoot a large man wearing a funny outfit if he entered their home without invite. Okay… now that’s out of the way, I can move onto actual lessons haha.

2. Differences are GOOD: A negative connotation often comes with the idea that people may be different than oneself. Dress differently, worship differently (or not at all), speak differently, have contrasting interests, etc… Many people are simply scared of differences because they are so comfortable with their own beliefs and ways. To me, life is all about progress. I don’t see a conceivable way for myself to progress as an individual nor any way we could progress as a species without having contrasting views and beliefs. Embrace the differences, open your mind to new concepts if only to hear them out, and be unique!

3. Our lives can be completely changed in just an instant: The phone call that you’ve lost somebody you love dearly, the message notifying you that you’ve received your dream job or been accepted into the college you’ve ALWAYS wanted to attend, the very moment you realize you’ve accomplished a dream of yours, seeing the “positive” on a pregnancy test, etc… There are many examples, positive and negative, but when it all comes down to it, there are many things that can change our lives quickly and forever.

4. Giving to others yields happiness: Studies everywhere indicate this principle. When giving to others, we find happiness, worthiness, and purpose within our own lives. Three things every human being has a right to feel and if anybody tells you that you deserve differently, you shouldn’t involve them in your life. I believe that depression and anxiety are so abundant in our society because we live in an individualistic world. Many people worry about themselves before others. Those material things that I always see people showing off aren’t the cause of real happiness, but only momentary happiness. Real happiness doesn’t fade. So, give and keep giving.

5. Time is relentless: It never stops. And, if it does, you better fix your damn clock. The longer we wait, the more opportunity we miss out on. Procrastination never leads us to anything good. It only leads to more stress in the future. If you’ve got a dream, go chase it. If your health is lacking due to no discipline in your diet or exercise, start making that change now before it’s too late. If you love somebody, tell them. If your grades are low because you always wait until the last second, STOP waiting. I could go on forever, but I’m sure you all get the general idea.

6. Christianity is a lifestyle: I believe that many people identify as a Christian… and that’s it. Maybe they’ll go to church from time to time or something to that effect, but they’ll leave it at that. In my eyes, it’s about much more than only identifying and attending church. To be a Christian, in my opinion, is a lifestyle and a very challenging one because, first, we must admit that we are only human and we do make mistakes. The lifestyle extends much further outside of the doors of the church and we must involve our faith in decisions we make in every facet of life. Many nonreligious people often tell me that being a Christian is “for the confused,” or “an easy way out.” Well, quite honestly, there’s a large bit of responsibility and vulnerability that comes with living a Christian lifestyle and this faith has challenged me more than anything else I’ve faced in my lifetime.

7. History only repeats because we refuse to learn from our mistakes:  That’s pretty self-explanatory.  I’m not going to dig too deep into any specifics because I’m sure we can all see these things in our personal lives, locally, and globally.  It seems like we, as individuals and a whole, make the same mistakes over and over again.

8. Failure is the key ingredient to success:  Don’t live in fear of failure, it’s an indicator you’re on the track to success.  You need to learn from those failures (as suggested in lesson 7) and apply whatever it is that you learned.  There are few people, if any, that don’t experience failure on the road to success.  Failure should be a lesson and a motivator, not a discouragement.  

9. Compromise:  One of the most important factors to sustain a healthy relationship of any type is compromise.   Give a little, get a little.  Do things with your loved one that you may not enjoy but he or she does.  Then, although you may not like the specific activity, just be appreciative that you can experience it with him or her.  Love is about more than only yourself, it’s about a partnership.

10. I’ve still got a lot to learn:  And so do we all.  If I know one thing, it’s that I really don’t know a thing at all.  Life is abundant with lessons for us to learn every single day.   I look forward to the new lessons of tomorrow and to reflect on the ones yesterday.


Until next time....




Check me out on Twitter:  @PrallyD