SLAYING THE DRAGON

As my son sat cross-legged in some Zen-like pose in our back yard one sunny afternoon, he said to me ‘Ask me any question and I shall give the answer.’ With him being quite a philosophical chap, I indulged him whilst waiting for some sage-like reply; mind you, I was not disappointed. ‘Okay wise one, tell me how I can be a better person.’ He paused as he closed his eyes, raising his head to the heavens. Moments later he looked at me with a response I will never forget, ‘You already are (a better person)!’, a truth which I had undeniably overlooked. My son was only eight years old at the time of his revelation and, needless to say, quite a unique character.

Firstly, kudos to both my children (my son and my daughter) for being two of my greatest teachers in life; they are wonderful beings and tremendous guides. I have come a long way in life with much thanks to them. Above all else, they have taught me that wisdom can come from anyone at any age.

Sometimes being a better or greater person may simply relate to one’s power in regard to their continuing fight against the torture of depression. Being powerful enough to face another day means you have most likely grown stronger over time. Continuing to face the demands of your demons may have required more courage from you than ever before. And your growing commitment to winning your battle against depression means that you have not lost hope; you are holding onto it possibly tighter than ever before. If you are thinking ‘But I feel like I am losing my strength, courage and hope as the days go by’ this I suggest is an illusion of sorts. If you are convinced that you are weaker than you were yesterday, it’s most likely because you are tired. To endure all you have, in relation to your state of mind, means you have had to be stronger than yesterday and this is the reason you are still here and why you may be feeling so exhausted. If you can visualise a brave knight continuously battling against some enormous fire-breathing dragon, you would acknowledge how exhausted he must be (to endure such a long and arduous fight). Would you be so bold as to pronounce him as being less strong of mind, less courageous or less hopeful than when he first started out, in regard to winning his battle with the beast? As long as he keeps fighting he keeps faith in himself and his goal. Whilst he is tired and worn down, he must in fact seek greater strength, courage and hope from within because he knows that if he does not his mind will get the better of him and he will lose his battle.

Whilst the heart and mind may feel broken to some degree throughout the battle against depression, the spirit of a warrior is what leads to stepping up and fighting another day. Of course, I regard anyone who faces the living hell of depression as being heroic, as being a true warrior (considering a true warrior’s signature trait is resilience). To say depression is an exhausting state of mind is an understatement, for it is a state of mind which can wear you down into the absolute pits of despair and whilst it continues to mess with the mind in terrible ways it can also threaten to take the spirit as a casualty of battle.

To keep the spirit within alive, one must first acknowledge its existence. There is a reason you are still here. There is a reason why you are still fighting. There is a part of you that will not give up, even if it exists as a mere flicker. Amongst the tiredness, there remains an energy and it is calling out ‘You are greater than you were yesterday, keep going.’ It says ‘Hang in there until you are able to get to the heart of the dragon, the root of depression.’ It is calling for you to fight a little longer so that victory will one day be yours.

Once you have ‘slain the dragon’, you have permission to let your guard down and collapse in a heap on the ground although this I assure you will not be possible when the time does come, for once you slay depression something powerful within comes to life and it is then that you will become a force beyond all comprehension. Until then, although you may feel weary, never forget that you remain greater than you were yesterday and your endurance is proof. Any belief contrary to this fact is simply an illusion.