our bucket

we are at our best when our bucket is full.

our adult part is responsible for making decisions that fill us up.
our child or parent parts can help or get in our way.

if we rely on others or external conditions to fill us up, then we are are choosing to relinquish our power to others and may feel like victims or helpless.

if we have a leaky bucket then no amount of external supply will fill us up.
others may tire of pumping water into our bucket only to watch it quickly recede.

so what makes our buckets so leaky?

Our own negative thoughts and beliefs:

"i'm not lovable."
"i am bad."
"i'm incompetent."
"i can't trust anyone."
"s/he is making me look bad."
"i'm scared of change because i'm afraid things will evolve beyond my capacity to grow."
"there's not enough for everybody. there won't be enough for me."
"people are bad."
"i don't need anyone."
"your best friend is your worst enemy."
"i feel left out. people owe me friendship."

"i'm not good enough. i'm not okay."
"i can't run very fast."
"i don't have the right connections."
"i'm not very good looking."
"i'm not very smart."
"life is not fair to me."
"s/he is unreasonable."
"nothing ever works out for me."
"if they knew the real me, then they wouldn't love/like me."
"nobody loves me."
"everyone is out to get me."
"i can't trust anyone."
"wo/men just want to control me."
"i'm not very lucky."
"good things never happen to me."
"i will never succeed."
"i'll never find happiness, love, success..."
"i'm not the right _______."

where do these negative thoughts come from?

if we are anxious or depressed, then our brain generates them.
over and over again.
sometimes we recognize them as words that our parents said to us - either as a way to teach/caution us about the world or to unload their own pain - because of their own anxiety and depression.
when we are depressed, we cannot help but only see the negative in everything, even if the positive and negative are standing side by side.

what do we do with these negative thoughts so they don't continue to torment us?

there are many roads to recovery.
we all have to work out our own salvation.
we can figure it out.
no one knows us better than we understand ourselves.
what has worked for us in the past?

• cognitive behavior therapy (cbt) is effective (according to the research). find a therapist who is skilled in cbt.

• hypnotherapy helps. 
  Phone numberfrom a certified clinical hypnotherapist that i have frequented: "...Therapy is then delivered in many different forms. When in the hypnotic state, words are heard free of interference of the critical analytic conscious mind. When in the hypnotic state you are able to focus more precisely on the words, images and ideas provided to you that enhance motivation and change. Changes in attitudes and behaviors, reducing stress and fears are reached by using several different therapeutic strategies. My approach to Hypnotherapy is an integrative, multidimensional approach. Depending on the individual client, direct or indirect suggestions may be used as well as a combination of guided imagery, metaphor, neuro-linguistic programing (NLP) and insight oriented techniques."

• affirmations help. positive statements crowd out negative statements that you say to yourself if you say the affirmations over and over again:

"i'm ok."
"you're ok."
 "i am lovable."
"it's ok to love me."
"we're all effed up, it's amazing we get anything done."
"nobody can take what is already mine."
"the universe is conspiring on my behalf."
"i can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
"if God is for us, who can be against us."
"i have a right to choose my friends."
"relationships are voluntary."
"i can make and keep friends."
"i trust myself to make decisions in my own best interests."
"i can be a good parent to myself."

"i am good enough."
"i can run faster with time and practice (and coaching if necessary)."
"i develop relationships that support my dreams and goals."
"i appreciate my good qualities."
"i take care of my mind, body and spirit so that i attract people to me."
"i learn."
"i create opportunities by showing up and being prepared. over and over again."
"the difference between success and failure is giving up. i refuse to give up. i am persistent."
"i create my own reality (with my words, actions and beliefs)."
"i try to understand the point of view and needs of others."
"i love myself."
"i can take care of myself."
"the world is mostly a safe place."
"i can trust most people."
"i am grateful for the people, events, resources, opportunities and abilities that i have."

• it helps if you choose to say affirmations that you are able to believe - that don't trigger strong skepticism. 

for example, if you say to yourself, 

"i can take care of myself."

and your first reaction is,

"no you can't! you can't even _____."

then tell the bully in your brain,

"eff that $hit. you are not the last word. you don't get to tell me what i can or cannot do. i can take steps toward taking care of myself and will not let you stop me. i am going to ignore you now. i refuse to give up on myself. i've done good things in the past and i can do it again."

or something to that effect. and then have an audience of all your heroes (real and imagined) slow clap in your head. just like in the movies.

• stress makes everything worse. 

whatever condition you have - dandruff, asthma, diabetes, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, etc. - is made worse under stress. 

the opposite of stress is relaxation. 

take a nap. or go for a run. or do whatever the heck makes you feel relaxed (and doesn't hurt you or somebody else). 

unfortunately, even though these things work - drinking alone, gambling, eating potato chips or staying late at the office every night, shopping until you drop, and so on - they may hurt you and those you love/love you. crowd out your plate of these semi-effective strategies with strategies that don't have so many negative side effects. baby steps. you'll figure it out. 

choose your go-to relaxation strategies wisely. choose them out of true self-love. i have a very long list of them. i do them a lot.

• medication helps if prescribed. addressing the stigma and fears that you may have about taking medication is worth the effort. do it. it's better than being depressed.

there are countless other types of western, evidence-based and traditional/cultural practices. do the research. what attracts you? what are you willing to try? what are your friends doing that works?

there are many roads to recovery.
we all have to work out our own salvation.
we can figure it out.
no one knows us better than we understand ourselves.
what has worked for us in the past?