"I Choose Joy!"

A very well-meaning, well-intended person, who loves me very much, said she just tells herself, "I Choose Joy!"  If only it were that easy, 1) I'd do it and 2) A lot of psychiatrist/therapists would be out of A LOT of work.  I wish I could wake up every day and say,  "I'm going to be happy today!", "I'm going to choose joy!" But obviously, depression extends from a chemical imbalance, perhaps some damage to the brain in the womb that laid the path to problems down the road. All I do know is that a depressed person, especially a severely depressed on or one in the throws of a serious depressive state (remember, Bipolar is also referred to as manic/depressive), it's lucky when a good regimen of medication(s) is found that helps the cycling stop but to simply wish joy for oneself, that is still the impossible.

This picture was pained by artist Vincent Vangogh, presumable one of his last, thought so because of the very dark colors in the painting. He was only 37 when he died and it seems throughout most of it, he was quite troubled. The Troubled Life Of Vincent Van Gogh   offers a good outlook on this troubled, restless soul who tragically died too young.  I am sure if he could have simply, "chosen joy" he would have. It's great advice for the stable, almost a slap in the face to the imbalanced, because we want to!!!!.....but can't.