You feel a deep sense of satisfaction and confidence; you are the rock others turn to in a crisis. You make decisions with a clear mind; with a sense of calm and assurance. You feel a sense of freedom and aliveness as you boldly embrace life with the playful laughter of a child. You smile with a sense of knowingness, remembering how depression used to play a part in your life. Used to.

Life can be challenging, if not overwhelming. Feelings of depression can hang over our life, bringing clouds that drown our sense of hope.

Is there an effective answer to depression that doesn't involve the side effects and dependence of medication or the painful, expensive, long process of psychotherapy?

Take a brief moment and imagine your life free of depression - right now. Yes, imagine that from this moment forward, you experience nothing but happiness and joy in any given situation at least ninety percent of the time for the rest of your life.

Now notice the feelings that arise for you . . . are they positive and optimistic that this is exactly what you will experience from this moment on?

Or do you have heavy feelings and thoughts that say, - "You don't know my problems. My life sucks.", - or "You can't help me. I can't help myself.", - or "That's just life. I've always felt this way and I probably always will."

If you are not having the experience of happiness and fun in any situation then you may be holding, or at the effect of, feelings that do not allow that condition to occur. In other words, if you do not feel as happy, confident, and positive in any given situation as you desire it is for one simple reason; you are literally holding feelings that actually prevent you from experiencing it!

THE GOOD NEWS IS HERE!

These feelings you have are just feelings. You can let these feelings go just as easily as you can let an object you are holding drop to the ground. These feelings you hold will only prevent you from having exactly what you want for as long as you hold them. Whether you choose to hold them for the rest of your life - or whether you choose to release them now - right now, is your's.

Would I rather be depressed? Or would I rather be happy?

The next time you feel depressed, or just less happy and alive than you would like to be, use our "Could you? Would you? When?" technique and see what happens. In fact, if depression is a challenge for you, try using this technique every 15 minutes or so (it will only take you 10 seconds) to release any feelings of stress you are holding. Then just notice the difference you feel at the end of the day - and this is only our very simple, most basic technique!