Everyone goes through depression at some point in their lives.  Others battle it more personally, more often.

In recent years more anti-depressants have been written by doctors for more patients than ever before while depression in all of us continues to rise.

More pills, but more depression.

We get happy when we get off of issues that make us unhappy.

By focusing on other things and other people.

And the secret weapon for depression is not always a form of medication because we know medications change and often have to be increased.

The secret weapon is learning to cultivate the feeling of gratitude.

You almost can’t be depressed while you are being grateful to someone else or for something else.

My friend, Wynn Etter, a Dale Carnegie sponsor and exemplar of good human relations, fought cancer until his death without allowing himself to focus thoughts on his illness.

If you asked him about his condition, he would answer it in a few words and then throw the conversation back to you.

He had every right to be down in the dumps over his worsening condition but all his many friends could ever think of was how he lifted the rest of us up – even when he felt bad.

Another prescription for the depression that occurs in life is to focus on that which you are grateful for and to those to whom keep you uplifted by their friendship.

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