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Leaving the abyss - fighting hardcore college bluesJul 05 '00 Write an essay on this topic.You've been down, but not like THIS before. This is bigger than a failed pop quiz and more depressing than being turned down for a date. This time the weight of the world, the blame for the Kennedy assassination, and The Man's Conspiracy are all crushing you under their weight. Your fingers are plugging the holes and the whole damn dike is crumbling. This time the blues are serious. This is a defining moment in your life. You didn't ask for it, nevertheless it has arrived. The objective is to continue pursuing your goals and what is needed is a momentum reversal. The snowballing string of losses must be stopped or channeled into a positive direction. When things are cratering it means that your current methods aren't working. They may have worked well in the past and may again in the future, but right now they aren't serving you at all. So much for the theoretical B.S. - you'd rather have the B.S. that comes on the diploma. You need tools and a mechanic to fix the problems, not a designer who will draw you a map and leave no compass. Here are some tools for the box - tried, tested, and true - along with the instructions. You are the mechanic, and yes you DO have the know-how. Begin a winning streak. Set small, easily obtainable goals, especially in the direction of your larger purpose, then achieve them. Gradually ramp up the difficulty level. Occasional losses will dot the landscape, but by keeping the achievements realistic, positive momentum can build. To use a roadtrip analogy, driving from New York City to Los Angeles is a daunting task. To look solely at L.A. as the goal is most discouraging. By making smaller goals such as reaching Philadelphia, then Pittsburgh, then Columbus, etc., the trip is turned into a series of smaller, easier to achieve victories, while still working towards the main goal of reaching L.A. Make the situation tangible. Objectively analyze your current fix. A pen and paper are invaluable tools for this as you can write down specifically what is going wrong and then write down possible alternatives, regardless of how remotely feasible they may appear. After this is done, assess the alternatives and choose the ones that will allow you to reach your goal. When this is finished you now will have a game plan. Change your scenery. Depression is a rut that must be escaped. Surrounding you must be some things that are contributing to the funk you're in. Possible candidates are negative people, music choice, dress, grooming, where you live, movie choices, book choices, and television shows. Many more examples exist but you get the picture. Look objectively at what's around you and work on purging the ones that are anchors. Negative friends, for example, are an incredible drag on energy and makes for a powerful and easily contagious detriment to your well-being. I did a major musical purge once and couldn't believe the difference it made. Circulate. The paperboy and mailman deliver, but few else will. Contacts are out there to be made, but you have to go out and plant the seeds. This is not an easy or quick step, especially if one of your problems is shyness or social ineptitude. Nevertheless, many of our "lucky breaks" come as a result of things we had done in the past. Continue to seek new activities, friends, anything. Get your name out there. The one "yes" wipes out however many "no" answers you received on the way. Persist. The race generally goes to the fastest - in the sprints. Life is a marathon and the attrition rate is incredible. Just by showing up you are beating 50% of the field. Stay in the game. Keep playing. Even if you can't be better than #2 at the moment, you have a very powerful law working for you - the Law of Large Numbers. The number of lists and players is so vast that if you are #2 on enough lists, eventually some of the #1's either die out, move on, or otherwise disappear. Eventually you will be #1 on some lists. This works with job interviews, dating, and life. In summation: Start a winning trend. Put the situation in terms you can handle. Change the scenery to a better setting. Get out and about. Persevere. This isn't a course that will lift you out in a weekend. If the situation was that shallow you wouldn't be here. Tough times call for tough character, however, and you are capable of meeting that challenge.  |
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