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Fill your life up with interesting stuff
Friday, 17 August 2007
We all feel a bit down sometimes. "To be or not to be, that is the question;" Shakespeare's Hamlet famously said. "Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer, The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing, end them."
Yes, Prince Hamlet, we all sometimes wonder if it's worthwhile going on. But there's an excellent remedy to this existential angst. And it's to simply fill your life up with interesting stuff. Distract yourself from it all by occupying your mind and body.
Children understand this concept immediately. You seldom catch them in a state of depression. They understand that life is for running around and playing with the wind in your hair. Sure, they get frustrated like the rest of us, but they also are often too busy just living to worry much.
In fact, it's a good aim to cram so much interesting stuff into your life that you don't have time to do it all. And things that get you out of the house are the types you should aim for.
This year, for example, I've been on a beach holiday in the Philippines, visited friends in London, spent a couple of months hanging out in New York, and been skiing in the Australian Snowy Mountains. Nobody could accuse me of wasting my life in front of the television.
This week, which is typical, I've had friends from Canberra staying at my house for a couple of days. We ate out, went to a concert, did a pub crawl and played tennis. I've been to the gym twice, played squash against a guy at work, had lunch out, and been out for dinner with other friends twice as well. And it's only Thursday.
With this much going on in my life, it's almost impossible to get depressed. It's when the day is empty that thoughts of depression creep in. I'll wager it's the same for you.
Not that you have to follow my example exactly. The types of things I like may bore you. You have to find your own interests. But generally, I think activities outside the home that involve socialising are best.
Of course, you can't go from an empty life to a full one in only one week. It takes time and effort to build up your social group and discover activities you enjoy. But try out lots of different things, and you'll soon find some that click.
Make a real effort to fill your life with interesting stuff. Be determined to look back and be amazed at how many happy and exciting memories you own.
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