One of my absolute favorite reality television competitions is So You Think You Can Dance. With so many Emmy award nominated and winning choreographers, this show just reaches in and can grab hold of intense emotions.
I find that they often touch on controversial and intense topics that are also very relatable.
This week, there was this spectacular routine that depicted struggles with Depression. Two dancers were involved, and one dancer's character WAS Depression.
I urge my readers to take a look at the routine.
Depression is something that I think every person deals with at some point in his/her life, but for those who are battling this debilitating invisible disease, Depression is basically like a person's shadow.
It is always there, it follows you wherever you go, and even on your brightest days, the drastic contrast of that darkness still lingers and threatens to pull you down into that space.
It's that threatening presence that is a lifelong battle to try and overcome.
I have been very fortunate to have only experienced bouts of Depression every now and then when my health plummets. With that said, it does not mean that I am not constantly fighting to keep that all-encompassing sadness at bay.
This blog is one of the ways that I work to keep my focus on the positive aspects of life. Being optimistic is not a simple character trait - it is something that you have to work at day in and day out. You need to be able to feel sad and yet focus on finding anything about a situation that can be seen as a positive.
Just like any kind of fitness program, optimism takes practice, concentration, dedication, and work ethic.