Rich Curiosity

Ever hear someone compliment your work only to feel the undeniable need to deflect or minimize it? Like this... Doug: I listened to your podcast. Really great job, Sarah. Sarah: It's not as good as it's gonna be. I'll make it better. The sound quality is nowhere near where it needs to be. Doug: Well, I liked it. Sarah: That's nice of you to say. I've been in so many conversations like this. And I've been both parts. Sometimes, I'm Doug trying to give someone a compliment who refuses to take it. And other times I've been Sarah, impervious to any positive thing you attempt to toss my way. I'm grateful to report that, I am way better at accepting praise than I ever have been before. But it was a journey to get here.  In my teens and twenties, I either diminished compliments out loud or I managed to say 'thank you' but tear it to shreds inside my own head. The way I was able to break this habit was by really listening to people when I found my

I first remember hearing the term 'depressive episode' about six years ago. I identified with Depression since I was a teenager, but never thought about it as appearing in episodes. But it made a lot of sense to me. There are periods of time where I don't feel depressed as much as other times. Today I realized I'm in a depressive episode right now. This in itself is a victory, because three or four years ago I rarely if ever realized I was in a particular dip until after I was out of it. The fact that I can recognize it from within is awesome. I wish I could say I recognize them right away, but this one's lasted for at least a week and a half now that I think about it and I'm only realizing it now, so...baby steps. What is a depressive episode exactly? For me, it manifests itself in three components:  Lethargy ,  Apathy  &  Despair . Let's break those down a bit... Lethargy I can make my body do stuff like get out of bed, walk to the couch, etc. Dependin