Happiness advice if you’re feeling down right now

Love is the master key which opens the gates of happiness. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

It seems this year and particularly this week a lot of people I know have been feeling down, dealing with family or other issues, it seems the holidays just ramp up the pressure.  So today I wrote a note to a friend and I’m sure many of the things I said to her apply to those of you who are feeling down.   I hope what I said might help some of you have a happier day my friends ~ Rev Kane

My friend – of course I can send positive thoughts, all the light I can assemble and muster and send your way is yours for the taking.  I am sorry for the rollercoaster year you have been on full of both frighteningly tall highs and heart shattering lows.  I’m here for you, if you need an ear, a shoulder, a hug, you know that.

A couple of things from an old dog who has spent the last couple of years spending a lot of time thinking and writing about happiness.  First, let me rely on what the Taoist’s say in relation to when your life is not what you want it to be, when things are going wrong.  There are three things that you have to focus on, are you safe, are you eating right, are you getting enough sleep?  This really gets to something called Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and it really follows the same thing.  First you have to meet your physical needs, I know this sounds so stupid and simple but you have to rest, you have to eat good food, you know all of that but when things get bad we often stop doing the little things we know we have to do.  Next is security, is your living situation safe, are people around you protecting and supportive or are they attacking you?  From there it moves up through love, self-esteem to self-actualization that kind of euphoric, hippy-dippy, smiling, purpose filled reality.  Look at these things and do what you can do make sure they are under control.

My friend the world is full of light and shit, just like your last year has been, when we are feeling good we focus on the light and rainbows but when things go wrong we focus on the dark and the shit.  That’s where you are right now darling, looking down and focusing on the dark and the shit.  It’s hard but you have to start looking up, focusing on the light.  Our energy follows our focus, focus on the light, our energy builds, things look brighter then you see more light, it’s a self-feeding cycle.

I am so unbelievably proud of you, over the last couple of years you have amazed me, our friendship grows even though we live a thousand miles apart.  I know, if I called today and simply said I need you here, I know, if it were at all possible you would be here, that’s who you are, that’s one of the many reasons I love you.  I’ve learned a lot of from you: I’ve watched you live your life by hanging your immense heart on your sleeve, giving of yourself til it hurts, and loving everything and everyone you can without restraint.  I admire that and you have shown me it’s actually possible to live that way instead of bottling things up and being afraid of the world and being hurt.  Sure, your way you do get hurt and when you lose someone it’s beyond devastating, but if you total it all up, you’ll quickly realize the good far outweighs the bad, you’re an inspiration.

You need to know that everyone in my life knows who you are, You are the shit, take that, hold on to it, pick up your head and focus on the light.  You’ve overcome so much in your life, you are easily the strongest and kindest person I know and one of the most wonderful.  Take a break, whatever time you need, rest up, then get up, and when you are ready to get up, if you need a hand, just look around, there’s a lot of people who will give it to you and I’m one of them.