Beating Depression vs Beating Desperation, There is a Difference

I'll admit; there isn't much I know about how to beat depression. What I do know of it, those who suffer depression find themselves in an almost daily struggle dealing with the affliction. I wish there were words of liberation I could offer those folks...but I don't have any. I'd be remiss if I tried.

However, there is a lot I know about beating desperation. And I think it's a safe bet to say that there are a lot of folks out there today who are suffering desperation.

Unemployment in some parts of the world, including parts of the USA, is at double digits. Small businesses are suffering. The mortgage foreclosure rate is through the roof, the entire planet is under economic malaise and there's lots of unrest in the Middle East. Yes, there is a lot of desperation out there today.

Let me say that I am not comparing depression with desperation; there is certainly a clear distinction between the two. But because there are high levels of desperation today, it is a topic worthy of discussion.

So what can be done about beating desperation? Because, yes, it can be beat. Here's a caveat though; there is no one, single way to beat desperation. We can each deal with our desperation in different ways; what works for me may not necessarily work for you. Having said that, I would like to offer you a starting point.

Let's say, for example, your finances are not where you'd like them to be. Maybe you've lost a job or perhaps business is slow. For whatever the reason, even paying monthly bills has become a struggle. This scenario is all too real today and certainly is a cause of desperation for many.

The first thing you'd need to do to rise above this situation is to take full, unconditional, personal responsibility for your present situation. Do not blame outside forces or circumstances for any area of your life that is not where you'd like it to be.

Why? Well, think about this. Let's say you're struggling financially today and you're blaming the problem on a bad economy. Flip the situation around. What if money was flowing into your life at this time and you had more than enough in the bank. If that were the case, the economy couldn't possibly give you anything to complain about, right?

As long as copious amounts of money are flowing into your life you'd have no reason to brood about a bad economy. Therefore, trying to blame an outside influence, such as the economy on poor finances is tantamount to a copout.

I realize that reading these words may make some people cringe. When things are not going well for us it's easy to find reasons why. But here's something to really think about; if this economy is a reason for poor finances, why isn't everybody suffering because of it? There are tons of people out there right now who are doing extraordinarily well for themselves. You can be one of them as long as you take complete ownership of your own problems.

Do you get what I'm saying here? The first step in beating desperation is to take unconditional responsibility for your own life and your own situation. I can promise you that if you don't, you will slip further and further into desperation.

Lastly, history is filled with successful people who frequently had to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to get to a better place. Read books about those people and their experiences. I'm certain if you did you would find a lot of inspiration in overcoming and beating your own desperation.