Interview with Steph Adams & Samantha Brett

Introducing Steph Adams and Samantha Brett.  They go the extra mile in their efforts to change the way we perceive ourselves, the world and what is possible for each of us.

Steph Adams is a woman who wears many hats, including international best-selling Author, Art Director, Business woman and Editor of LAQUA Magazine, which she founded in 2017.  Samantha Brett is a Channel 7 News reporter, presenter, lifestyle columnist and best-selling author of seven books herself. As they team up to share insight and fundraise for a cause, they cannot help but have an incredible impact.

For now, let me say, I am very pleased to discover your book, The Game Changers: Success Secrets From Inspirational Women Changing the Game and Influencing the World. It lands in my lap with perfect timing. Something inside reminds me everything happens for good reason. 

In light of your busy lives, I would like you both to know how much Dreambuilders Australia readers are thrilled you create time to get to know you on a whole new level. Love to see how this exchange unfolds.

As experts in journalism, fashion, beauty and writing for huge audiences,  you tune into the pulse of Australia and the world, and respond to interests of the masses.  What led to your desire to raise awareness of mentors who overcome struggles?

Steph: Well, both Sam and I have had very long careers and we to have encountered our own struggles. Coming together for this book just felt so easy because it was something we were both so passionate about. 

Sam: THANK YOU! I Definitely think our lengthy and diverse backgrounds help us look at pulling together a book like The Game Changers from two very different get complementary points of view. We’ve both had our fair share of set-backs and challenges which have contributed to the way we see the world.

Love that you draw from your own life experience to encourage others to hang in there and grow from whatever obstacles they face.  As a former dream analyst columnist myself, I know people value guidance to help them step back, reframe and grow from obstacles and learn to laugh at themselves.  

This said, which specific inspiring themes stand out to you in your book?

Steph: Sharing other peoples stories of success and failure in the world is something that resonates with me. Each story is unique and inspires me in its own way.  I learn from each one.  

Sam: another theme is that rings true for me is 'nothing comes easy!'  

Indeed. You are both clearly passionate about what you do.  Your own lives are inspirational and send a message by example.  Sharing inspirational stories as you do is a bonus.  What would you like women to gain from reading Game Changers?

The essays from women around the world are aimed at inspiring the next generation to follow their dreams. What stands out, is that no matter where we are in life or what we are doing, we can all choose to be open to learning from adversity faced by others. 

So true. We can view setbacks as stepping stones to building strength, resolve and traits to help achieve their dreams.  And empathy allows us to feel what other people are feeling. Every event that unfolds before us reminds us we choose how to perceive and respond to it.  This begins and ends inside. Life is one big miracle but people only notice miracles in those moments when they come to life.

In your latest collaboration, you support the Pink Hope Foundation.  Please tell us about that.  What motivates you to be involved and why create the Game Changers book to support the cause? 

Steph : We both have worked with Pink Hope in the past so this book is a natural collaboration. We really support all the work Krystal Barter does for the Charity.

Sam: A percentage of sales goes to help support Pink Hope after we both lost our friend to breast cancer.  There are some incredible stories in The Game Changers - most of which you really need to read as there are too many to talk about here.

Krystal's story is definitely one of resilience.  It shows us the lengths people are willing to go to survive as well as the power of love. I have known women who have suffered from breast cancer, and related depression, as have many of our readers. Whatever course of treatment is chosen, each person offers a unique story with its own inspiring message.

There is a saying about the six degrees of separation, meaning everyone is really touched directly or indirectly by this illness through relationships. My mother died from cancer. I also had a client who another kind of cancer. She viewed her trial as a wake-up call and stepping stone to make big changes in her life. When she was diagnosed, she already visualized being healed.  During her chosen treatment, she got in touch with her passion for interior design.  Now, she has a thriving business. Chicken Soup for the Cancer Survivor's Soul is another book that inspires people to reframe related issues, and laugh more to heal like Patch Adams advises.

I marvel at how you both spent over two decades between you interviewing inspiring and successful women.  In light of all the unique people you have encountered in your careers, how did you ever choose the women you include in your book?

Steph: Well, a lot of them we have looked up to through out our lives and some we just found so inspiring, we just had to share their stories.

Sam: We also wanted women from diverse backgrounds and industries, and women of all ages and countries. 

What comes through your responses is that sometimes what inspires us about particular people is not easy to identify in words.  As you both interact personally with all those women you profile, you have the added insight of feeling what its like to be in their physical presence and even to know them on an timinate level.  Your book conveys this very well.

In the course of writing the book, what did you realize the women you profile share in common?

Steph: The women in Game Changers are fearless in their pursuits, set goals with determination and go after what they want. Each of these women knows her own set-backs, and the power of resilience.

Sam: And I might add these women also refuse to be discouraged when their options seem exhausted.

What do success and fulfillment mean to each of you? How do each of you see the world evolving in its focus and priorities? 

Steph: I think that success is defined only when you find that moment in your life when you are just happy and content. Its not always about being "successful" as such. When you enjoy what you are doing but don't make success the outcome.

Sam: I think success to me is going to work every day and it never feeling like work! Also, being able to maintain relationships with family and friends, without letting work take over every facet of your life. 

One thing that stands out is you are both globe-trotting career women, as well as multi-tasking mums. What advice do you have for women exploring careers and asking how to do more in less time? How is your sense of priorities and use of time changing?

Steph: When you become a mother, you just realise that things take a little longer to accomplish and complete, but thats ok. The joy of motherhood is wonderful even among the chaos!!

Sam: I try and spend a certain amount of hours every day with my daughter, and that way when I go to work, I don’t feel (too) guilty! It’s definitely a constant juggle and balancing act. I wish I had the magic formula but unfortunately I think the only advice is forget sleep! 

To be sure! Every day is a new day.

Please let us in on your inspirations? Who or what inspires you to be most true to yourselves?

Steph: I am inspired mostly be my friends, family and my two sons.

Sam: Steph definitely inspires me, she’s such a great Mum and Hard worker. My mum is amazing too, and my colleagues at Seven News are superwomen! 

If you decided to interview each other and add a section to this book Game Changers, what advice would you offer the world about creating and realizing dreams? Which pieces of advice from the women in your book stand out most?

Steph: Learn to Zig, then Zag - has always been something that has resonated with me. Some of the advice I learnt from the other women was that failure is all part of the journey, its not the final destination.

Sam: I agree.

Under what conditions do you feel most comfortable and most confident? Which life experiences and especially disappointments have you had that have contributed most to who you are today?

We all have moments in life when things are not always going to go smoothly, and that just life. We sometimes need to accept them and just make the most of the special moments with our friends and family.

If you had to choose 5 things to take to a deserted island, what would you bring?

Steph: My husband, a bottle of Aperol, bikinis, towel and sunscreen

Sam: My iPad, (to watch suits!), A pocket knife (I read that somewhere !), Arianna Huffington’s “Thrive” book for inspiration, My husband and daughter 

What advice do you have for our readers about being a women in this day and age? What helps you be the best you can be? What is to be avoided?

Steph: Be kind, gracious and appreciate what you have because it could all be gone tomorrow.

Sam: Do not take social media (or any technology) too seriously! Life exists beyond it.  

Do both of you have books or films you turn to for advice, solace or inspiration? What are the genres, titles?

Steph: Yes I used to carry with me 5 little books around with me since I was 18 in my suitcase of quotes on happiness and life. They always replace the negative thoughts.

Sam: Arianna Huffington’s books

If you could leave our readers with a some advice about realizing dreams, what would you say?

Steph: Follow your passion.

Sam: Do what you love and the rest will come.

Steph and Sam, your professional initiatives and the way you prioritize family are inspirational. Thansk for offering a glimpse into your true selves and priorities.  You leave us with a few things to reflect on and explore. 

Love that you inspire us all to remember we each have the power to make a difference in the world, one moment and one project at a time. Like you and Game Changers profiled women, Grace Vanderwaal also echoes no need exists to compare what we do.  We are all unique, can choose to see blessings in who and where we are, and accept that whatever we do right now is enough. If and when we are inspired to act on something new, listening to the heart and keeping a sense of humor is key.

Interview with Dario Da Ponte

Steven L. Hairfield, Jeoff Hutcherson and I co-host a regular Aware Talk Radio show. Dario Da Ponte is a repeat guest. Listener interest in his presence and healing abilities inspire me to interview him here. It is a privilege and pleasure.

Appreciate the opportunity to reconnect and share your insight with a wider audience. Thanks Dario for putting yourself 'out there' and reminding us that what we seek is always accessible and closer than we think. So let's get right to it:

Different kinds of healers exist. Please share with our readers how you came to be aware of inner healing abilities and why you use this to empower others.

My personal empowerment journey began when I was 16 years old. My mother gave me The Silva Mind Control book and I was captivated by the possibility that we have infinite potential. For whatever reason, this struck a very deep cord with me. I remember wanting everyone to read the book and learn how to tap into their personal power to create whatever they wanted. It’s just something the seems to run in my blood. I stumbled on these healing skills really on my own journey to heal myself on an emotional level.

It's interesting what your state of mind viewed as 'stumbling on' or 'a random experience' deeper awareness arises to reveal as cosmic synchronicity or awakening with perfect timing. Many people relate to key life turning points.

As for me, I was going through a really challenging moment in my life and fell into a depression. Even though I had many skills to overcome fear and inner limitations, I wasn’t getting anywhere significant with the depression –then  one day lying in bed something inside me told me to go deeper and meet the depression much deeper inside. When I did that, a huge surge of energy poured into my body and cleared away my depression in a couple of minutes. To make a long story short I later put two and two together and realized how to reproduce that phenomenon any time I wanted for myself. I later realized that this energy could be used to heal others, so I started practicing on my family and friends and later on clients.

One message that stands out is that nobody is alone in having wake-up calls or revelations.  Personal stories about depression are also common. Now, when did you begin to see everything as energy?  In other words, what triggered this knowing inside you or letting go of the resistance that blocked it?

This is a great question. When I realized that I could shift someone out of their traumas and limitations, it was one the most exhilarating realization of my life. To finally be able to move things just with your mind is something I think we all dream about at one moment in our lives. When I  learned that everything is energy and that thoughts are energy that can have an effect on someone 10,000 miles away and literally change their entire lives – life completely changes.

As you say, direct experience is indeed life-altering. It's possible for everyone to recognize a shift in perspective that allows deeper knowing to reveal itself. In your view, how can people benefit from being open to energy in ways they do not yet experience consciously?

More importantly than to realize that everything is energy, behind the energy there is consciousness.  That seems to create this energy that everything is made out of and it seems to create it out of a void. When we become the witness to what is happening, when we enter into being conscious rather than thinking with our rational minds, we are movers and shakers of reality much more so than when you are not aware of this miracle. It think people would love to believe this about themselves but they have not had the experience, or least they are not conscious that they are magical creative beings. Everyone can do this work because we are all conscious beings and it is consciousness that creates. We are coming around as a whole to come to really understand this. There’s always hope.

Love your attention to distance healing. Some people are unfamiliar with the nature and potential its power. Of course, direct experience speaks for itself. But from your healing role, how is this possible and what can block it?

We are one conscious mind having billions of different experiences. We are  each a piece of the whole, which is a hologram. That means that we have the whole within us. All we need to do is to focus and the effect is created in another individual. There is no sending energy across the globe. In this realm there is no time and space. There is no space really at the core. Quantum science understands this very clearly. They call it entanglement. Some people think that the healer needs to believe in order for this to work. Not true. As a matter of fact, this is why people go to a healer as a last hope and often don’t believe it will work, but they still go because there’s no other option and it works anyway.

Beliefs can then be surprising motivators for healing. What is the most common reason clients approach you?

The most common reason  is a person’s inability to create the shifts and transformations within themselves that they would like. They want to have more confidence, feel free to be who they know they can be but because the resistance  of their inner conflicts are so strong they need help clearing them.  The other issues are physical issues, followed by addictions.

You certainly deal with a variety of situations. Clients as well as visitors here can come to value their own versatility. What advice would you give to people to be more attuned to their own energy?

Being more attuned to energy vibrations is essential to putting your inner power to use for personal growth and empowerment. It is actually very simple. All one needs to do is get into a receptive state, pay attention and be conscious of your sense of feeling within your body. This is how we learn to use more of our brain. When we feel with our bodies we are using our power. Feeling is power. Feeling is a creative force. There are many different skills one can learn which I teach people, but it is about being sensitive to the vibrations we create with our thoughts. This is a very easy skill to learn. Bottom line is first and foremost is to be open with your whole body. Once you practice that, your sensitivity will build. It’s actually something very grounded in our bodies and not some woo woo thing. It’s about learning to control the parasympathetic nervous system by holding a state of calm and receptivity.

Readers appreciate your focus on simplicity.  Now, what does it mean for a person to meet feelings of emptiness?

That just means to be conscious of it. The best way to be conscious is to create a gap between you and the feeling of emptiness. Sort of like being a fly on the wall and watching. Just watching without any judgment, without being for or against the emptiness – by being the witness we can meet our feelings and not get entangled in them. This simple act will empty our emptiness and give our real self a space to be.

From your work as a healer, what would you say is the greatest block to natural healing or core well-being? And what remedy would you suggest for people concerned to remove it?

It think that it all boils down to learning how to be conscious. We have never been taught this simple concept and the power it has to help us live a well balanced life. The only thing we must remove is ignorance. These things should be taught in school. Take time every day to be conscious. Just be still. If you want –here  is a cool little way to do that. Pretend you have turned into a statue. Let your body freeze or turn into stone. Do it for just 3 minutes and you will be amazed how deeply this process activates consciousness. When you do this you have no choice basically but to be conscious because your body is frozen. Just play with these type of exercises and they will carry over into more well being in those testing times. But play with this type of practice. That’s the most important thing.

As you imply here, individual awakening to the nature of the dream is done on different levels. Please offer an example of a client and how you guide them to trust themselves more.  What shifted in his life on different levels?

One that always comes to mind is an individual I helped with BDD (body dysmorphic disorder). People who suffer from this condition see themselves completely distorted when they look in the mirror. They usually feel just as bad as they see themselves. Most are aware that they have a mental disorder that shows them something that is not really there, yet they still suffer tremendously. My client basically saw a hideous monster when he looked in the mirror and I was able to help shift the image in the mirror so that he no longer saw the distorted image. This completely shifted his life around and was able to have a romantic relationship again, start to work and in general just feel comfortable in his own skin again–something he hadn’t felt for over 20 years.

How do you see the evolution of distance healing and the other healing modalities you currently do? (within yourself and in the world more generally)

There is a huge energy healing movement going on now and I think it will just continue to grow. There is no question in my mind. I see –I envision more and more everyday people having the basic know how to use the power of their minds to create shifts within themselves and others. That’s what I am working towards, myself to help that happen.

What are the three most profound lessons (and/or experiences) that have shifted your energy, focus or perspective?

#1 – that consciousness is everything. I experience this everyday and have had many shamanic experience that have showed me that there is only consciousness.

#2 –that we are creative beings, when we observe, the very act of observing causes an effect. This has proven to me that we have god-like powers. And we are just now barely scratching the surface. It’s how I perform the healings, with conscious awareness and intent. Just notice what is and observe it and it transforms.

#3 –my own awareness and intentions have healed and transformed me so deeply that I now so full of hope for the future of humanity. I have experienced how relatively easy it can be and yet how powerfully  moving our awareness and intentions are. This work keeps evolving and recently I have felt  that I am now working on a much deeper level –at the level of our DNA. This happened just by moving my awareness around and the results have been amazing. This saves me twice the energy and I am getting much better  results. It has also shown me that our evolution could become so much quicker that I have imagined.

This discussion offers much for reflection and also invites letting go of what is outgrown. What final message would you like to leave our visitors?

That we are just one consciousness, one being and that we should consider that deeply in our lives, our work, within our family and friends, and with mother earth. Take responsibility for the results in your life and face your life with conscious awareness, open your heart to the challenges in your life so that you can awaken the truth your life challenges are seeded with. It  will only be uncomfortable for a moment and the pay off will be forever.

How can people contact you? Please share details of courses, products and services you offer for consideration.

They can contact me via my website at http://www.coreawakening.org. Visit my this site to find out more about this work, sign up for the newsletter and receive several free healing audios. I also teach a healing course every three months, for those interested visit the website. I am also doing DNA activations, which will activate your potential. I basically do whatever the persons wants to activate within themselves, any inner power, love,  confidence, more intelligence, aligning with their purpose. Anything can be activated and really, we are filled with potential, we just need to check in and ask what wants to manifest through me.

It is a joy to connect with you Dario and to feel how you genuinely exist to invite others to rediscover who they are. Your presence on Aware Talk Radio is welcome. Until we reconnect, in Lak-ech.

Thank you Liara for this interview.

Fear of Failure: Women & Depression

Severe depression is the most widespread psychological disorder in the Western world. This disabling condition arises for different reasons and affects diverse communities. As a group, women experience more stressors than men because women often shoulder the burdens of family and friends as as well as their own. Short-term frustration or sadness is normal. If distress lasts for weeks or more, its wise to consult health professionals that align with your socio-cultural and other beliefs.

The profiles below were chosen from surveys to 300 women about their experiences with esteem, self-image, and fear.  We welcome our readers to share comments about their own lives.  What do you learn about yourself?

Jean, a lawyer who knew public t.v. success, lived through both depression and anorexia. She succumbed to pressure from herself, her peers, producers and her audience. “I ignored my need for emotional support. The show consumed me.” For a time, ratings soared. Clients poured into her office, boosting her esteem. She pushed herself hard. “I desired approval and grew insecure. My expectations rose too high.” She couldn’t keep everyone happy. Her life fell apart. Her work-a-holism and competitiveness led to divorce. She felt guilty about neglecting her son and family. When her show was cut, her esteem plummeted. “I was miserable. I felt like a failure. I lost my appetite, but I didn’t notice until I was very thin. I considered suicide.” Public success was short-lived. She would cry inexplicably. “I wondered why I pushed ahead? My inner voice encouraged me, said I could do better. But I was repeatedly disappointed.” It was hard to motivate herself, to refine her identity. “In searching for an acceptable self-image, I suffered depression then anorexia.  I almost died.” Once she admitted her mental illness, she sought help. Treatment and time away from the city enabled her to renew. Dating again builds her confidence.

Helen, a highly-educated, stay-at-home mom, admits struggling with a negative attitude and clinical depression. “I would like to be more positive, but my workaholic father and life experiences make that hard.” She moved to a foreign country to complete graduate school. She married and stayed abroad. Motherhood alone has been unsatisfying. “I attend playgroups with other moms. Some gave up careers like medicine to raise their kids. They devote time to school committees and volunteer causes. At times, I feel so tired and empty.” Helen has undergone psychotherapy, but she discontinued treatment. She felt it was emotionally too difficult. “I didn’t like what learned about myself. It was scary.” A miscarriage caused her to see her life differently. She feels more grateful for her toddler son and finds new meaning in life. 

Jasmine, a budding art therapist, gained weight as a result of taking medications for her mental illness. “My children are growing. I wish to do something career-wise.” She doesn’t wish to wallow in grief. “Losing my parents hurt me terribly. Watching children suffer in news is heartbreaking. It’s hard to concentrate. My energy increases over time.”

Ashley, a freelance journalist, has experienced low-esteem due to long-time of criticism about her abilities. Members of her family have also suffered depression. She is convinced its genetic. Her hidden fear of failure leads her to express a constant level of enthusiasm. “I’m mostly optimistic, but some people think I’m phony.” Insecurity relates less to how people perceive her to how she sees herself. “I was a chubby teen with crooked teeth. Fixing my teeth inspired me to smile more. Becoming more physically fit built my confidence.” She wishes to empower women who struggle with critical self-evaluation. Reproduction issues still get her down. “If success and happiness are measured by having children, I might feel a failure. In developing my career, I haven’t met suitable partners.” Ashley has seen her ambition intimidates men. “I’m productive and get things done. At work, I’ve found it’s acceptable to be told what to do. I’ve also learned it’s useful to question authority.” Ashley doesn’t fear success. Yet, her view of it changes, making it harder to achieve.

Claire, an advisor, has a family history of depression. Her esteem issues led her to seek therapy. “I try to focus on having good relationships, but they’re measured by signs of affluence. I fear I’m unable to measure up.” Claire has struggled with her self-image. She measures her success by how she masters skills and helps others. She rarely socializes and admits, “I find it hard to even feel motivated. I don't like myself much.” She defines her limitations based on external criticism. “I see how people around me judge women. They attribute failure to gender.” Claire doesn’t like being watched and evaluated. “I’m very self conscious. I worry that others will see me fail while I’m just trying to learn. She wonders how women over-achieve. Her expectations are contrary to her conscience. She fears both financial failure and success, and has known neither. “Failure would leave me unable to take care of myself. I worry success is just an illusion that doesn’t truly reflect my values. In my daily life, it’s very hard to find role models to emulate who reflect my values. Most have such extreme lives and sacrifices that I don't feel I can achieve them.”

Joanne, a spiritual housewife, moved to the U.S. from the Philippines. She tries to focus on married life while she feels restless. She has known a cultural identity crisis. “I pray each day and try to be a good wife.” Her sense of success is closely linked to her education and striving to think positively. Prayer enables her to deal with feelings of helplessness. “I perceive myself as an achiever with no room for failure. So, when difficult times come, I tend to sulk.” Her parents’ careers and marriage set her lofty goals. Joanne’s sense of failure clarifies itself in bad decisions she perceives around her. “I compare myself to my school alumni’s achievements.” Joanne fears both success and failure, but she tries to let go to leave the rest to God. “If bad things happen to my family, like sickness, difficulties, I feel worse.” She reads self-help books to improve herself. She also strives to interact with people who inspire her with their own survival, people “who lead a good and righteous life.” Her biggest disappointments go back to the failure of her plans. She admits she forgets that "Higher Forces guide oportunities for healing." 

Eboni, a farmer’s housewife, has experienced depression. She struggles to define her identity separate from motherhood. Her children are grown. She has become more involved in her community. Making friends and socializing helps. “I’ve found self-help meeting groups do a lot to help build my self-esteem. I read inspirational self-help books about women who beat the odds.”

Ella, a nurse and sports coach, dips in and out of depression. She turns to drinking to help deal with uncomfortable emotions and stress of work. She experienced low moods regarding her dad’s death. She was overtired and less interested in her typical activities. She recognizes that she fears uncertainty. Ending an unfulfilling, ten year relationship gave her new strength. “The last straw was when he bought a motorbike rather than an engagement ring.” New romance also builds her confidence. She juggles jobs to achieve financial freedom. “But I don’t like nursing now. It’s hard on my back.” Physical injuries contribute to her sense of failure. Physiotherapy and counseling are helping her rise out of her intermittent depression.

Terry, a former hospital employee, frequently feels overwhelmed by piles of tasks. She admits she is discouraged by her personal life and feels all she has ever done is make mistakes. She dwells on what went wrong, what will likely go wrong or what is wrong with herself as a person. Her energy is drained by shouldering close family responsibilities. Her strategy to beat depression has been to turn to prayer and also to devote part of her life to helping the less fortunate.

Leslie, an elementary school teacher, has become more depressed since a fire consumed her house and created sizable debt. “I no longer put in 100%, or I do too much, feel overwhelmed and incapable. In general, I don’t fear failure. I’ve succeeded and failed. Each failure strengthens me.” Her confidence wavers when she is preoccupied with external approval. “I also feel depressed when I exert effort and receive little response. That can crush me!” Her personal life has had its ups and downs. In the past, her esteem sank due to irreconcilable differences with family members. “My step-mom and I didn’t get along. Dealing with adversity has been trying. “My life is harder than its ever been.”  She's hopeful she'll make it through. 

Judy, an website entrepreneur, fell in depression as the result of the impact of Hurricane Katrina. That storm destroyed her home, most of her possessions and many business files. For a time, she drove out of state and lived in her car. Come what may, Judy defines personal success as, “doing the right thing.” To overcome lingering sadness, she aims to surround herself with survivors. “I minimize contact with ‘losers.’” One example of why this is hard relates to a close friend addicted to QVC. “She has ordered $40,000 worth of goods from the shopping network in the last year.” Feeling unwilling to leave friends with self-defeating behavior pulls Judy down, but she tries to focus on what she can control. “The stakes are not high in my life right now. I’m not trying to accomplish great things, nor is there anything I could really lose.” Overcoming setbacks and depression means learning not to be intimidated by new things. “I just figure out how to do them.” Her restlessness led her to alcohol. Drinking makes her happy and then sad. She tries to forget difficult life. To improve esteem, she says, “I aim to stop impulsive eating and drink less.”

Yamina is a Muslim housewife with low self-confidence. She associates success with positive thinking and support from her husband and family. She would like to start a small business, but she lacks faith in herself. She feels “pressure and expectations from her society.” Her father encourages her to overcome negative thinking. She is strongly affected by failures by close family members. “I fear failure because of how it may stop me from moving on and on whether or not I will be able to rise again from the fall.” She dwells on the death of loved ones. “I also regret not taking initiatives and not becoming what I could have.” She wishes to eliminate these anxieties.

Bella, a home care nurse, never married.  She developed breat cancer later in life and depression arose as a partial result.  She found that during her chemotherapy treatment, she came to judge herself more and began to wonder if her life was a failure because of things she had not  done before the cancer and was now unable to do due to the state of her health.

As you can read above, these profiles reveal some low self-esteem  is a common symptom women describe as a contributing factor to their depression. Each woman’s experience is her own. Low confidence is often linked to struggles with fear and control. If you experience depression or know someone who does, you may sense this condition evolves as women strive to achieve material success, as women seek external recognition and acceptance, or as the result of their experience with relationships. 

In essence, as a group, women who experience depression struggle with happiness and contentment. They fear failing to reach their goals, or failing to meet other people’s standards. A woman’s understanding of success may be linked to peer approval rather than to her own lessons. Conditioning rarely teaches a woman to define her success in terms of how she acts to make life better for herself as she sees fit rather than based on external influences. Women multi-task because its expected. They may over-nurture because they’re taught to be overly emotional.

If you assume control is key, be aware success and happiness are more about letting go of all your taught. Women can only control themselves, not time, how others react, not longevity or mortality. If your morale is consistently low, consider taking on-line depression tests.  Clinical depression is a condition determined by professional diagnosis. Intermittent low spirits are sometimes viewed as depression, adopted as a label or part of an identity.   As you raise your own awareness of why you think and feel as you do, you're also in a position to encourage yourself and others and also feel your way to remember love is the ultimate solution. 

"Sometimes one has simply to endure a period of depression for what it may hold of illumination if one can live through it, attentive to what it exposes or demands. The reasons for depression are not so interesting as the way one handles it, simply to stay alive." -May Sarton