Amorvia Extrasolar

1. You have to understand and be convinced, more than anything else, that depression is a brain chemistry problem and not a matter of choice or a moral issue. It is a disease just like diabetes or heart problems. Nobody wants to be depressed.
2. You must be empathic because depression actually hurts much like a broken bone, it is painful, so be caring.
3. Be hopeful because depression is one of the most treatable diseases.
4. One of the best treatments is cognitive behavioral therapy. Help your friend find a competent cognitive behavioral therapist. Seeing a MD might help too.
5. Reading and focusing attention can be very difficult for people suffering depression, nevertheless refer them to positive hopeful books. I found portions of David Burn’s Feeling Good to be excellent, especially the sections on common cognitive distortions and thought records.
6. Share your stories of hope. I have had two episodes of major depression; one when I was a teen ager and another in my thirties. I learned a lot about depression then, but I’m still afraid when I have two or three down days in a row. But 98% of my days are totally awesome now!
7. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. The more love you pour out on your depressed friend the better they feel. Hug them, kiss them, and tell them good things.
8. Tell them to actively fight the depression and keep moving forward. Climbing out of the pit is hard work.
9. I think King David is a good example of a coping with depression. He had major mood swings and deep depressive episodes. Jesus struggled with emotional issues too. In fact some Presidents, major leaders and extremely successful people have struggled with depression. It just kind of normalizes depression to realize that.
10. Take your depressed friend out on a date to the movies, to coffee, help them get out and live a little. It’s better than sitting at home alone.
11. Depression is the root of a lot of problems. Alcohol masks depressions, for instance. I just think that is interesting and helps me understand people better.
12. Don’t expect your depressed friend to respond the “right” way. Remember, depression is a brain disease. Everything up there is not firing on all six cylinders so be patient.
13. Keep praying for your depressed friends. Your love, prayers, and friendship are the best medicines. Healing is just around the corner.

I love you-Bryan

Fingerprints of God is Barbara Bradley Hagerty’s book about “the search for the science of spirituality.” She recounts the story of Sheri Kaplan who discovers she has HIV. “At first I thought, How could God do this to me, make me the leper of society?” she said. “Then I realized, I was chosen. The message was, I was chosen so I could help create social change, so I took this as my role. I realized God didn’t want me to die, or even get sick.”

Back in those days the average life expectancy for those diagnosed with AIDS was a year and a half. Kaplan has lived more than a dozen years, without medicine or treatment, just the conviction that God has chosen her for a reason and making her the subject of studies about the relationship between spirituality and science.

Researchers have discovered, according to Hagerty’s own work, that “turning to God rather than rejecting God appears to boost your immune system and stave off the disease nearly five times as effectively.”

Also, she writes, “People who believed God loves them maintained the cells (the CD4 tumor and virus fighting cells) three times as long as those who felt God did not love them.”

Do you want to know how to help troubled people?

1. Assure them that God loves them.
2. Love them yourself. Tell them you love them, hug them.
3. Model the helping loving life. Actively engage in your own God given role as a chose one.
4. Always believe, always have faith, always have hope, always love.
5. Laugh and sing a song.

This is God’s will for your life!

I love you — Bryan

Self Limiting Thought: If I just had more time I could…

Truth: Everybody has the same amount of time. Be more realistic about your time management skills. Get some discipline.

Self Limiting Thought: I have specific limitations due to my particular problem.

Truth: The only real limitations in your life is the way you think about life. There are too many examples of people who have overcome real limitations to succeed at a high level.

Self Limiting Thought: I have too much to do.

Truth: Yes you do and welcome to the club. But 80% of what you HAVE to do is not important and just feels urgent. Focus your attention on the 10-20% that will help you accomplish your goal. In business, focus on income earning activities. In relationship, focus on loving. Don’t be distracted by stupid insignificant stuff.

Self Limiting Thought: I have personal problems to deal with.

Truth: Everybody does. So what?

Self Limiting Thought: You just don’t understand my situation

Truth: There is nothing new under the Sun. Millions of people have unique situations and still function at a high level. So can you. The most successful people take their personal tragedies and turn them into world class helping projects. Why not you?

Self Limiting Thought: I might fail, I’m not good enough, I’m new at it, I’m too young, I’m too old, I don’t understand technology, I’m just a boy, I’m just a girl.

Truth: These self limiting thoughts will go away if you will work at it, gather experience, and develop expertise.

Self Limiting Thought: People might think badly about me.

Truth: Most people just don’t care. Just do the right thing. Do what you need to do. Do what’s best. By the way… I love you and I think you are great and your life makes a difference in the world.

Self Limiting Thought: Honestly… I’m lazy.

Truth: Lazy is another word for afraid. Everybody is afraid but they move forward until the fear is not a factor. It doesn’t take long.

Self Limiting Thought: I just don’t care.

Truth: If you are depressed get help. Life is just too big and too good to let your brain chemistry ruin it for you. There is a glorious wonderful exciting fantastic world and life to be had. Don’t let a few screwy neurons mess it up for you.

I love you – Bryan

American Red Cross (www.Redcross.org)  

Samaritan’s Purse (www.SamaritansPurse.com)

Love your neighbor – Help One

I am experiencing my own personal spiritual revival. These happen occasionally to spiritual people, often with no perceivable cause. Mine is related to reading “The Blue Zones” which is not a spiritual book, scripture study or theological treatise. In stead it examines the lifestyle of centenarians. The trigger of my event is that centenarians have a driving purpose in life. They wake up every morning knowing that what they do matters. Secondly I am impressed by the diet and exercise of these remarkable people.

I encourage you to read the book.

Now, I want to ask you; what is the driving purpose of your life? What is your big why?

Next, Does your diet and exercise routine add years to your life?

Please reply to these questions by email to me at bryanleemartin@gmail.com.

I will continue this conversation later today.

I love you — Bryan

Give $10 to help the people of Haiti

Samaritan’s Purse (www.SamaritansPurse.com)
Love your neighbor – Help One

One of my readers suggested that I offer an on-line interactive Bible study? Would you like to participate in a beta test group to see if the idea will work?

You only have one life, what you do with it today matters more than anything else.

1. You cannot undo the past, but you can repeat it. Don’t waste your time. You know that doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different out come is the definition of insanity. Today is a brand new day; do what is right, hopeful, and best.
2. God made you for love and relationships, focus on doing and being the best person possible for yourself and for your loved ones; do everything you can to build up and make strong.
3. You can’t fix your spouse. You can’t even mold them into something better or more like they use to be. Stop trying! But you can fix yourself and be more Godly, loving, kind and respectful even in a flawed relationship. YES YOU CAN!
4. Don’t take bad advice from well-meaning people; learn wisdom instead. Keep your attention on making your life and love better.
5. Ultimatums and lines in the sand lead to conflict hurt and disappointment. Create multiple options instead.
6. Heated emotional dramatic arguments do nothing except deepen negative energy and actions. How is being so defensive going to help you? How is being right going to solve the conflict? How is revenge and getting back helpful? How does yelling, screaming, cursing and name calling solve anything? How does negative hateful thinking make it better? Stop it!
7. A crisis is a time limited intense emotional event. It will pass in a little while, so don’t let it distract you from what you really need to do.
8. Even after the worse thing possible happening to you and your family there is a new day with new hope and new promise.
9. The path to freedom, hope, happiness, satisfaction, well-being, goodness, mercy, forgiveness and love is well-worn by many who have gone before you, stay on it and follow them!
10. One of the best prayers you can pray is, “Help me Lord Jesus.”

I love you — Bryan Martin.

Give $10 for desperate families in Haiti www.redcross.org

Here is what you need to do today.

1. Keep your goal, your “big why” in mind and work towards it passionately.
2. Follow your established schedule and don’t get side tracked.
3. Keep positive, enthusiastic and upbeat all day long.
4. Accept your failures and short comings as integral parts of your journey and move forward. It happens! Often with a capital SH. No drama! Just move forward.
5. Give back in the form you were given. If money, give back money. If love, give back love. Just give back.
6. Celebrate EVERY little victory. Small step wise progress leads to major accomplishments.
7. REJECT NEGATIVITY in every form. Just don’t give it credence.
8. Recall the teachings of Jesus and remember that the Holy Spirit lives inside you…not just for your benefit… but for the whole world!
9. Take small mini breaks to recharge by; being thankful, uplifting reading, singing, befriending, pray, pray, pray!
10. Love somebody. You need to love somebody.
11. Remember: This is the day that the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it.
12. Start back at number one.

I love you — Bryan

I have been thinking about you lately. I know that a good word would be helpful for you as go about your day. So here are a few thoughts for you to meditate about today.

1. This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.

2. Say some prayers with me for the people of Haiti as they struggle with life and death issues. If you can send them $10 through the Red Cross (www.Redcross.org).

3. You have more control over your life than you may realize. You can control your thinking and you can make it better.

4. Reach for your sparkle. You can generate your own enthusiasm and it can make a difference. Enthusiasm is contagious!

5. Repeat this saying; “I am God’s child, I have a strong mind, healthy heart, and sound mind. God is for me… who can be against me.

6. Say this; “There are people all around me who need my help and I may be the only one who will help them.”

7. Say prayers of thanksgiving for all the goodness of life.

8. Read something good. I’m reading “The Blue Zones.”

9. Sing!

In all that you do, share your love with people around you. You make a huge difference!

I love you – Bryan

Those images from Haiti are haunting. Thank goodness we have the distractions of American Idol and the NBC late night TV controversy. But before you know it, we are seeing them again, talking about them, and praying for them.
 
I wanted to go to Haiti to help, didn’t you? But even skilled trained rescue workers are having a difficult time. I think it is best to send money now and when the immediate crisis is abated we can put together a team and go help.
 
In February Jennifer and I are going to New Orleans. Our real estate franchise, Keller Williams, was a corporate responder to hurricane Katrina. They chose New Orleans for our national convention partly to check on the progress made in the recovery there. It will be interesting to visit and see first hand how the recovery is going.
 
It is easy to forget the devastation after the crisis. Yesterday my tailor and I were watching scenes from Haiti and recalling the tsunami that hit Asia in 2004. Do you remember that?
 
Let’s use this occasion to respond with love to the emergency in Haiti. Let’s each send at least $10 to www.redcross.org or www.samaritanspurse.org and plan on ways we can help rebuild later. Pray with me for them.
 
I love you – Bryan 
 

American Red Cross (www.Redcross.org)  

Samaritan’s Purse (www.SamaritansPurse.com)

Love your neighbor – Help One