The background to this post is that I recently re-watched the 2012 film "Lincoln", which I often find inspirational, and then did a little internet surfing, which led me to this article from "The Atlantic" (online) magazine (which I will have to start paying regular attention to), about Abraham Lincoln's lifelong struggle with depression, an issue which appears to meet modern definitions of clinical depression and thus would today be a liability, and the benefits he got from that situation, which the article sums up as "the tools to save the [US] nation".
I'm not going to too much into details, other than to note that the article talks about the creativity which sometimes comes from "melancholy": the article also refers to Lord Byron, who was also "melancholic" and creative - who I have a sense of connection with (despite learning about discipline by being in the British navy during the time Byron lived), and it reminded me of a poem I wrote in my 20s about melancholy and the creativity I got from that.
This all serves to reinforce my profound suspicion of the expectation that people will be happy and cheerful and lighthearted when they are "good", a bias which has led me to leave or not join some groups in the (distant) past, and to be wary of anything promoting happiness - except for Buddhism, which I know requires facing up to the darker aspects of oneself (including, for instance, fear of extinction).
Hmm. Food for thought.
And, on food, I'm aware of the controversy over the so-called "paleo" diet, including doubts about what we actually ate then. Another thought which has come to mind is that one of the profound influences on our wellbeing and health is the mixture of bacteria we have in our digestive system - and a rumour I once came across that the "healthy bacteria" additives came out of an attempt to open the Asian market to cow's milk by introducing the bacteria that Asians lacked but most Westerners had as a result of millennia of using cow's milk.
Thus, although our basic biology may not have changed much since the "paleo" times, our biology has changed significantly because of the changes in the microorganisms in our digestive system.
Anyway, more food for thought, which has got me thinking of breakfast, so I'll toddle off now :)
I apologise for publishing these
posts twice, but Blogger keeps changing my formatting. I can either publish it
and then correct it, or save and close the post and correct it when I reopen
it, but that leaves an extra copy in my "drafts" folder ...
Love, light, hugs and blessings
I am revamping my former website, and getting at least one other underway (pronounced "new-MYTH-ear"; ... aka Bellatrix
Lux … aka Morinehtar … would-be drýicgan or maga
... )
My "blogiography" (list of all posts and guide as to how to best use this
site) is here, and my glossary/index is here. The reasons for my caution when using Wikipedia are here.
I started this blog to cover karmic regression-rescue
(see here and here), and it grew ... See here for my group mind project, here and here for my "Pagans for Peace" project (and join me
for a few minutes at some time between 8 and 11 PM on Sunday, wherever you are,
to meditate-clear for peace), and here
for my bindrune kit-bag. I also strongly recommend
learning how to flame, ground
and shield, do alternate
nostril breathing, work
with colour, and see also here and be
flexible.
May the best in me, my Higher Self,
and those of the Clear Light who assist me,
help me to keep myself grounded, centred and shielded,
to be Balanced and a Fulcrum of Balance,
a centre of Balanced Positivity and Spiritual Maturity,
with my aura continuously cleansed, cleared and closed,
repelling all negative or unwanted energies,
whilst allowing positive, balancing and healing energies in and through.
The real dividing line is not between
Christianity and Islam, Sunni and Shia, East and West. It is between people who
believe in coexistence, and those who don’t.
- All of the above - and this blog - could be wrong, or subject to context, perspective, or state of spiritual evolution ...
Tags: Abraham Lincoln, change, depression, evolution, health, inspiration, mental health and wellbeing,
First published: Tysdagr, 30th August, 2016
Last edited (excluding fixing typo's
and other minor matters): Tuesday, 30th August, 2016
