Don't Give Up!

Don't Give Up!

Having spent the past two years on Twitter, I have realized that depression is a lot more common than I first thought. So, so many teenagers of both sexes suffer from it. But you are ALL strong enough to defeat those demons and come out smiling. It's going to be hard and it will take time, but you have it in you. Yes, I'm talking to YOU. You can do it.

It is absolutely vital that you take some time for yourself. Do something that makes you happy. I found that it was in fact Twitter that was contributing mostly to how I felt. Seeing as much depression as I did meant it seeped into MY system. Think of your own, what started it, and if possible, get away from it! I deactivated my Twitter for 2 weeks and it was a much more joyous 2 weeks than I had experienced for a long time. You need that relaxation, otherwise it builds up. Go out, get some culture. I went for long walks around the countryside, I visited historical castles and forts, I experienced the local history. It did not only distract me from how I felt, I also discovered a new love for the history of this fascinating country. It was an education. Some of you might not feel so interested in that sort of stuff and that's fine. Just make sure you take some time for YOU; go out, find and do something you enjoy.

Music has been proven to change moods depending on what you listen to. I remember once being taught in a Music Technology class that, though not always true, the general rule is that songs composed in a major key are happier, and that those composed in a minor key are sadder and more emotional. If you're feeling majorly down, listen to some happy-sounding music! Yes, that pun WAS intended! A very good example is Feeder's song Buck Rogers. The lyrics are nonsensical, but the music itself sounds very positive, and it's a great song to listen to if you need some uplifting. Iron Maiden's When The Wild Wind Blows is a very long track (clocking in at an almighty 11:01) but the melody is extremely uplifting, and I thoroughly recommend that you check it out, even if you fear it being too 'heavy metal'; it really isn't. If you do fancy something a little more emotional, I can help you with that too with another Feeder song called Just The Way I'm Feeling. It is a true masterpiece.

Feeder's original drummer, Jon Lee, unexpectedly committed suicide in January 2002 just when the band was beginning to take off (Buck Rogers had hit #5 in the UK charts a year earlier). In the wake of this, singer/songwriter/guitarist Grant Nicholas locked himself in a studio and just wrote music endlessly, resulting in the brilliant Comfort In Sound Album. This is important and the clue to why is in the title. He took time for himself and found comfort in sound - he was happiest when writing music. A world away from my historical endeavours, but the concept is the same - taking time for yourself so you can get through. 

One of the most difficult parts of it all is the fact that we humans seem to have a built-in negativeness in the sense of, when we get criticism or rude remarks made about us, it is only those we believe and if we do get compliments, we tend not to believe them. Try to gradually reverse this. Instead of receiving a compliment and saying "No I'm not", instead say "Thank you" and maybe return the favour. For example, if someone calls you beautiful, reply with "Thank you, so are you!" This spreads the positivity around and will hopefully make not only you but others happy too. And if there's something about yourself you don't like, don't sit there and complain about it endlessly, do something about it! Hate your hair? I think it's time for a trip to the hairdressers! If you hate yourself thoroughly, reinvent yourself! The important thing is to remember to be yourself. Be someone you love, and Hell with what others think. The only person in the entire universe that you have to answer to is YOURSELF. Have that carefree attitude. Seriously, life is much better when you do not give a flying f*** what negative remarks people have to say about you. "If you like it, great, stick around. If you don't, go away." That's a great motto to live by in my opinion. Being yourself is very important; make sure you love that self, regardless of what others think. You can do that.

Perhaps the most important thing to do is believe in yourself.  Believe you can get through and you will get through. Sometimes life sucks, for everyone. But you can get through. Everyone can. Focus on the positives because there always are some lurking there, no matter how obscure they seem to be. Even just the little things. In the words of Matt Smith's fantastic Eleventh Doctor, "The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don't always spoil the good things or make them unimportant." Every good thing you do is important, no matter how small or insignificant it seems.

If you make a mistake, do not fret about it. Just do one thing. Learn from it. Every single Homo Sapien ever has made mistakes. The key to them is to make sure that you learn from them and you do your best not to repeat your mistake. Do not obsess over it, that only makes it seem worse than it really was. Just take something away from it.

You are beautiful, kind, caring and amazing. Yes, reader of this blog, I'm talking to YOU because you are. You are all of those and so much more. Now then, let's see...
Step 1 - Believe me.
Step 2 - Go to someone, tell them the same and then tell them to do the same for someone else. Once you have, return to this blog.

See? Wasn't so hard was it? And don't you feel so much better for it? I thought so! Now, go forth and spread some positivity, and remember to feel good yourself. Be proud of who you are. You are you, that person is unique in the entire universe and no-one can take that away from you. There may be tough times ahead, but you can and you will get through. I believe in you. Your friends believe in you. There's just one person missing, I wonder who... Oh that's right.

YOU believe in you.

Finally, I shall leave you with a song I wrote. It is where I got the name of this blog from and I do hope you enjoy it. Spread it around if you can, that would help ME out greatly! After all, I am trying to make a living out of making music! Be warned, there are no vocals as of yet. This is a rough version, however the lyrics are on screen and there is a vocal melody played by a guitar. Enjoy!

Stay positive reader, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Have a fantastic life. I know you will. :)

(My Twitters - @TheMetalWhovian and @benhobsonmusic )