GETTING UP WHEN YOU’RE FEELING DOWN
Do you ever feel blah? Ever wish you had a permanent "picker-upper"?
If so, this may be for you.
In the 1920s, if you were looking for a little pick-me-up with your 
mid-afternoon snack, you might have reached for a cold, refreshing
glass of 7-Up. Well, it wasn’t called 7-Up back then, it was called
"Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda." (Say THAT three times fast!)
Inventor C.L.Grigg’s original recipe included the antidepressant
lithium until the 1940s as a "picker-upper" (www.cadburyschweppes.com)
That’s also probably why the original Coca-Cola formula included the
stimulant cocaine.
Today, people not suffering from serious depression understand that
they usually don’t need mood-altering drugs to cope with daily life.
But most folks struggle with bouts of mild depression, despondency or
"the blahs" from time to time. How do you pick yourself up when you’re
feeling down, without the aid of Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda?
Of course, talking about the reasons you’re down, making needed
changes, watching your diet, getting enough exercise and sleep,
developing a positive mental outlook and utilizing spiritual resources
are all important pieces of our emotional puzzles. But one important
strategy for feeling better (and one that’s least used) is helping
others in need.
* Visit a shut-in neighbor.
* Write a letter.
* Call a friend who has been struggling.
* Volunteer at church, synagogue or the local food pantry.
* Rake someone’s leaves.
* Bake homemade bread for a new neighbor.
* Wash your spouse’s car.
* Volunteer to baby-sit for a young mother.
* Plan an unexpected act of kindness.
* Give a gift for no reason at all.
The needs are abundant, and those who put aside some regular time to
do something kind for others will often forget they were feeling low.
It seems that extending a hand to others likewise lifts us up!
Corrie Ten Boom beautifully said, "The measure of a life, after all,
is not its duration, but its donation." And if you’ve been feeling
low, the best time to donate a piece of yourself is now!
Di tanah tercinta, negara Malaysia
