That wasn't flying, that was falling with style!

             When it comes to failing, I’m a success. I have failed so many different things in so many different ways that at this point it’s basically a hobby. I eat a bowl of failure for breakfast with a tall glass of defeat, which is usually followed by a tums. Failure, despite how most people treat it, is an absolutely wonderful thing. There is a famous quote which has been credited to Thomas Edison, inventor of the light bulb, which states: “I have not failed. I’ve just found ten thousand ways that won’t work”. I cannot express enough how beautiful and important of a statement this is when it comes to depression.

                A lot of the time our depression is usually related to our self-measurement of success. Perhaps you got a bad grade this week, failed a sales goal, or even have trouble in your relationships. This tends to push our measurement of happiness around, but the true reality is that without failure, we would not have success! Don’t take you falling flat on your face as a bad thing, but rather look at the beauty within it. You learn so much from great mistakes and can evolve into a better person. The phrase “roll with the punches” is no joke. Life will definitely throw some curve balls your way, but if you can be malleable and adapt to the challenges, not only will you work as a more effective person, but you will end up happier as well. Go out and fail and do it with a smile, because failure, which tends to point towards our anxiety, should point towards our joyous enlightenment and learning. 

Carl J. Bromley

Good friends, good times

              Being lonely sucks. I haven’t had the best streak when it comes to relationships. In many cases, this is the cause of a lot of people’s depression. Even though I’m an introvert and usually enjoy being by myself, even I can feel a little empty on the inside when there’s no one to share special moments with. On New Year’s Eve of 2014 I sat alone while friends were gone visiting family or at work. My original plans fell through thanks to the icy roads, so I was doomed to a quiet living room with some TV. I must have received dozens of Snapchats of people doing awesome things in big cities or having some kind of crazy party. On top of that I wasn’t really feeling all too well. I had a terrible, terrible day at work. I mean have a holiday filled with alcohol and you’re going to have a lot of people who want a lot of pizza. It’s simple math. All I could focus on was how alone I felt and then something changed that.

                I heard a knock on my door, to which I, even though feeling so alone, was unhappy to hear. I opened the door and two of my friends Sean and Garrett (best friends a guy could have). I had told these two that I was feeling a tad bit sick and they brought me over a 20 oz 7-up. I felt stupid for feeling lonely. I have friends who genuinely love me and are awesome at showing that love. We continued to talk about what we wanted to see this next year. Real cliché, I know. It was a nice evening and I eventually kicked them out due to wanting to get some rest. The point that I’m trying to get at is just because I didn’t have a midnight kiss, doesn’t mean I was alone. In fact, I have some of the best friends a person could have. When depression hits, it brings on serious, dangerous tunnel vision. I was so blinded by feeling lonely that I couldn’t see the real truth of the situation. All I could focus on was the little cloud in the sky that was blocking out about 5% of the sunlight. That’s really dumb of me.

                Now, I can honestly say that I am very blessed by the people around me. I’m blessed by the professors of my college, by the people I work with, and by the friends that I consider family. Perhaps this is not the same scenario for you. You may feel utterly alone because you are, which means that me telling you to focus on the ones who bring joy into your life isn’t possible. Perhaps you feel unloved or unwanted by the people around you. I have definitely felt that way before. I want you to know this simple fact and hold on to it for me: I love you. Sure, I don’t know you, but that’s just how I was raised and what I believe. If you ever need anyone to talk to I’m here! I can’t promise to be able to talk every second of the day, but I can promise to help you as best as I can. Remember the truth: You are not alone, even if you just have one person that cares and I care.