Let me tell you a story , concerning a very “close friend” of mine and his struggles to overcome stress , depression and somegeneral mentality issues , during his life . A sad story ? A happy story ?

You’ll be the judge of that .

I watched this close “friend” of mine till his early days , as an infant , as a baby , as a child , then as a teenager , then as a roommate in our college years , then as a business partner , till nowdays and i’ll be near him till his last moments in this beautiful planet(!) .

And to tell the truth , i didn’t expect from him to succeed in life ( even if i had some access[!!!!!] in his future life ) in the level he has succeeded , not because he didn’t have the appropriate
physical or mental abilities , to succeed . But at the end , he surpised even me (!) .

His only and big problem , was that he was a very poor guy , and his family didn’t have the finance sources to support him in life . But in many cases this isn’t such a big problem .

I’m sorry i forgot to mension another big problem he had for sure bigger than his poverty one , but this problem , he didn’t even know that he had it !!!!! .

It is a very sneaky problem and it has the “ability” to hide itself , behind the daily routine and the small moments of happiness people have , which makes you a bit of lazy to hunt your personal dreams and have huge moments of happiness .

This sneaky problem , is called self – devaluation and insecurity concerning the powers you have as a human being , and believe me i know for good (!), what soul powers you have been given by your CREATOR .

And of course , my “friend” had tons of this problem and of course he didn’t even knew it , till a specific time in his life .

So i watched him , when he saw his first daylight , because of me(!) because he was born night(!) in a poor public hospital . His birth had some problems , but nothing important that would need my help .

I smiled a little those moments , because the problems , started very early for this “friend” of mine .

But it wasn’t my “job” to judge , my “job” was to watch him , be a companion to him , love and protect him , and to HELP him silently and quiet , the moments i had the permission to do so . And what a wonderful and sweat boy he was .

I watched him play as a tiny baby with his toys , inside his baby swing , and i remember wondering myself , when this cheap swing would fall apart and throw my tiny “friend” on the ground . But in the other hand , i was there to catch and save him .

And he was always smiling , showing to me , his empty from teeth mouth . He was smiling when his tiny belly was full . He was smiling when his tiny belly was empty , and beleive me , those times were way more . He was smiling when he was “dirty pants” .

He was smiling when he was fresh and clean .

He was smiling when he had baby belly aches . He was smiling when i play with him countless hours , because i never get tired . I’m in a very good shape(!) .

The times i remembered him cry ,were few and only when the discomfort he was feeling was way above the average .

Oh , this tiny little guy , how beautiful he was . He looked like an , Angel and to be honest , i was a little jealous(!!) , for a nanosecond . Oh , this little guy had inner power .

The days were passing so quickly , that’s the way it is happening your early first weeks , months . You grow so fast , and you’re learning so many new “things” , in such a small period of time .

The only things a human being needs to grow , be healthy and happy , is just LOVE and GUIDANCE . The other “materials” is just creations from societies and human laws .

The same elements my “friend” needed back then but he didn’t have the luck to have big “ammounts” of these elements , all the time . But it’s ok , there are much worst conditions for someone to grow .

Wars , hunger , diseases , extreme poverty , physical and psychological abuse , external and internal health problems , countless types of violence ….. and so many other types of problems humans have . I have seen so many of them , believe me .

But my “friend” here didn’t have any of those extreme survival problems .

I remember the day he had accomplished to make his first step , with a little help from me of course , protecting him from sharp corners and stuff like that .

His smile was so big , for which the Joker , would have been jealous about it . Mine too . I can’t hide that , even if i’m a proffesional(!) , i was very touched by this “small human being” and the power it comes out of him .

I was there when he spoke his first words to his mother and father , because his truly first words he had spoken them to me(!) , the countless times we were together playing games and noone else were present .

I was there when he managed to take his first walks and talked his first complete sentences , starting to built his personality and he would be , the man he was about , to be .

We were continued to play games as in the past , but now fewer times because my “friend” has more “things” to do , during his day time and i shouldn’t have blocked his way .

And our games were different as fast as he was growing .How many times he had thrown to me kitchen knifes , hammers , and whatever he was found in the house ?

Ok i cannot get hurt(!) but , my attention to him had to be in the maximum level ,because i didn’t want him to get hurt . And i did a good job , because he passed the “danger” child period without any serious injury .

He was “programmed” to do much , in his future life and no physical wound was accepted .

The first couple of years passed so fast and now he became a bigger child , having more complicated thoughts of his own and several needs .

It was the time to had his first bicycle and till he managed to ride it well , i “worked” overtimes to save him from , falls , traffic dangers , holes , balance “issues” and whatever all the kids are doing when they “meet” with their first bicycle .
I don’t know , this 2 wheel “machine” , has a unique attraction to humans and not only to the little children .

I was there during his first summer swims ,”working” again overtime to protect his life and make sure that he was having fun , enjoying every single moment , because when you are in your childhood years ,you must play as much as you can and “load” your soul with pure “naive” happiness .

And one of my “jobs’ was to make sure , that you lived all your “innocence years” , with the correct way , which is the way of LOVE.

But even if i did my best to this direction , i couldn’t do anything to influence your surroundings ,to make your child life more happy .

But these happens .

I was hearing your thoughts ,for things that you couldn’t understand concerning some behaviors of your surrondings , but the more you were growing ,the less you could hear my advices (!) …..

But i was always there for you and you were doing fine , no matter some “issues” you had inside your closest environment . We were sitting in the same desk during your first school years till your college years and your degree .

I can still remember your first effords to read and write , to memorise the alphabet , to learn to count ,to learn history and physics and so many other useful school lessons .

I can still remember the afternoons you stayed at home , to finish your school lessons and impress your teachers , so they put you a good grade and impress your parents in he end of the school year .

I still remember your dissapointment when , the only praise you have taken was a half-smile and nothing more , but i didn’t interfere knowing that , this lesson will teach you to do “things” , for your satisfaction , and not for collecting praises and encouragements .

Maybe this was a tough approach , but in the future you would find it very useful , trust me(!) …..

Now you are a grown teenager and you prepared your entrance to the college you like and you did a very good job . I was there during your first tries to enter society and do as others do , so you can be acceptable and satisfy them !

I was there when the first “invisible chains” YOU CREATED for yourself by IGNORING your dreams , were started to “imprison” you , and of course without understand it . Slowly and steady .

I was lowering my head seing you entering this life’s path ,because i knew that if in the future , when you deside to BRAKE THOSE “CHAINS” , the price you’ll have to pay , would be MAMMOTH !!!!!!!

it’s ok , some people follow “wrong” paths , in order to find what THEY REALLY LIKE IN LIFE .

Some people , learns , by the “hard way” . Of course i’ll be there for you , helping you , with my way , as i helped you then , when you tried to enter your Uni .

The light in your bedroom was never turned off , till the early morning hours and sometimes which the light lamp was about to get burned , i helped you with my own light …..

And after countless reading hours , countless liters of coffee , and extraordinary efford of yours ,you made it .

You manage to enter to the college you wanted and the brightness you had from your satisfaction was “challenging” my brightness (!) .

At last you make it ,to do something for your self(!) and your future and you were very happy
and your relatives and friends were very happy . You got your clapping and countless promises that the future will be all yours , when you graduate and take your degree .

But this wasn’t the happy end of your story , as you can imagine . The “invisible chains” were tighten around you and you still haven’t got a clue for what it was about to happen in your life .

You passed some college years ,studying hard but also having fun and enjoying a carefree life .

You thought those days , being a college boy and taking your degree , all the life’s doors will open widely for you . But you were so WRONG . And it wasn’t my time to help you .

I just watched and waited .

I just watched you drifting around and having fun , unsuspected , naive and i was a little bit sad about it because you were wasting so much time .At least you would be full of joy and parties , when the next tough days would come .

The time passed , you graduated with a good grade everybody was so happy for you and your first job in a company ,you’ve been taken to , was now a reality .

And the “invisible chains” , were tighten more “aggresive” than ever now . But you still haven’t got it . You still “refused” to see the “cold-blooded” , reality . You got your first paychecks and you started to buy “stuff” and “things” , to make all the others happy .

How a “good” boy , you were and so convenient !!!!! . You always said YES and never NO , in order to satisfy all your surroundings .

Family , relatives , friends , teachers , girlfriends all . All EXEPT YOURSELF and inspite of . that you were meant everyhting you did and you were honest , life doesn’t works this way my “friend” .

It hasn’t passed much time since you began , not to be happy with you life , your job , your friends ….. many things .

Then it was the time , WHEN YOU STARTED TO REALISE THE “INVISIBLE CHAINS” arround you ….. and that’s when i stop being uninvolved and my REALLY “JOB” started ….

From that that moment , i was paying great attention to you 24/7 , because i knew what was going happen in the future . How i knew it ?

I suppose it’s secret . The first couple of weeks , you were very skeptical about all this new situation you were , experienced .

Your “innocent years” , are in the past for good my friend . Now the “game” begins . Now fate will challenge you and what is going to happen it’s up to you my “friend” .

And ONLY YOU .

You resigned your work and went to another in order to find the “perfect” one .After a couple of months you went to another “perfect” one . And after a couple of motnhs more , another “perfect” one and another “perfect” one and another “perfect” one .

But no happiness seemed to “rise” . No mood for parties now , no mood for walking around with friends and girlfriends , no happy “innocent” smiles anymore , no mood for chit-chat things were changed .

STRESS from pressure was all around you . For the first time in your life you felt stress .

You were acting all your daily activities , you’ve done before but now STRESS IS ALWAYS PRESENT , making your stomach to tighten .

The nights weren’t peaceful anymore and the sleep didn’t take you in its “hug” , as easily as it did , during your “innocent” days .

Your hole life had turned upside down and even if your whole life thought you were a winner , this conviction doesn’t exist .

You feel more , than a loser wasting so many years doing things that gave joy to others exept yourself .
And now the “bill” , is “choking” you silently .

These thoughts made the situation worst and noone near you , was willing to do something about it . YOU HAD TO FIND THE “LIGHT IN THE TUNEL” .

Of course i was always there to help you and lead you to your “healthy” future , but it wasn’t my time yet . You needed to be “tortured” by all this , for a couple of months more so you can be sure that ,

YOU WANT 100% TO HUNT YOUR REAL DREAMS , NO MATTER WHAT
DIFFICULTIES YOU WOULD FIND TO TOUGHEN YOUR WAY and never look back .

During those so painful but also extremely critical period , you would have the time to learn some very importand things about yourself , with a little help from me of course .

And the willingness to take action is so important , my “friend” .

Use the best “medicine” for everybody in this planet . Even i use this “medicine” sometimes , in spite of my “different” existance .

This ancient medicine is LAUGH . Laugh hard , laugh true , laugh as many times you can , laugh with no specific reason , LAUGH .

All the above my “friend” , you thought that you have found them by yourself , but I was whispering inside your head .

And of course i’m not showing off ( pride isn’t allowed for me ) , but i did a very good “job” .

After the answers you found for the feelings of stress and depression , you were feeling for the first time in your life , YOU STARTED TO TAKE ACTION , to the opposite direction .

And you changed your whole approach for life .

You took some desicions from the bottom of your heart ,concerning YOUR OWN AND ONLY HAPPINESS and you were willing to follow them , TILL THE END .

You reset your “hard-disc” , you soul searched yourself about , what makes you TRULY happy and “dig up” forgotten dreams , you’ve made as a child , but you forgot them ,as you were growing .

You stopped blaiming others for your problems , even if some harmed you and the MOST IMPORTAND YOU FORGIVE THEM HONESTLY .

This made me wanted to cry , even if i can’t(!) , because it’s always a spectacular moment when a HUMAN BEING , MANAGES TO WIN HIS EGO !!!!!

You took a big breath , you erased the bad moments of the past ,but remembering the lessons you’ve learned and you started from the beginning .

AND YOU FINALLY MADE IT !!!!!!!

You cried , you bleeded , you prayed(!) , you had dissapointments , you had big failures , you felt the irony and devaluation from the others ,you got upset countless times .

You feared countless times and you overcome fears countless + 1(!) times , you worked countless hours , you waited a lot of time and during this time your faith was tested so hard but you NEVER QUITTED TILL YOUR VICTORY and you FINALLY MADE IT , my “friend” .

And that moment , your soul “exploded” from happiness .

THIS IS HAPPINESS ” MY FRIEND “ , not the others the occasional ones .And don’t hold the tears inside your eyes . Let them free , as free you feel this moment . Let yourself free , to cry as Champions do .

And i at last , can take a “brake” and go “upstairs” , to see some eternity friends of mine .