These are desperate times, what with war going on all over the globe, global warming, fuel prices skyrocketing, men throwing children off of bridges - it makes it easy for despair and desperation to set into your life! But how do you make it DIFFICULT for them to enter your life? Trust me, I know what it's like. I lost my job back in September 2007, and haven't even gotten past the interview stage (if I'm lucky enough to get an interview!); my boyfriend is moving to North Carolina from Michigan, where I currently reside (he has a job waiting for him there); and it just doesn't look like things are going to get better any time soon. So what's a gal to do?

First of all, a key phrase in the above paragraph is "any time soon". A problem I believe modern Western society has today is the demand that it all happen RIGHT NOW. That's an expectation that is just way too high! So, let "Patience" be your watchword. Very few things happen instantly in the Universe; realizing that is the first step to defeating desperation.

What else can help besides having more realistic expectations of life, yourself, and those around you? Well, how about Faith? POSITIVE, loving Faith, that isn't selfish or hurtful. Some people gather with others in a central place (church, synagogue, mosque, field, et al.) to share their Faith and to strengthen it. Others prefer to be solitary and share their Faith with their Higher Power (God, Allah, Yahweh, et al.) The key point here is to believe and trust Whomever it is you have Faith in, no matter what method you choose to do it, and to respect all others whose Higher Powers and methods differ from yours.

(I am presuming that your preferred choices do not involve hurting others whose methods differ from yours. That is very counterproductive; but then, if you feel that way, you probably don't get desperate, so why are you even reading this?!)

Lastly - LAUGH!!! Look for the humor in everything, even things that we have been programmed to believe have no humor in them! Laughter is a wonderful thing, not just for the mind and soul, but for the body as well. And if you can laugh at yourself, even in what you feel is your darkest hour - you're on your way to defeating despair! Good luck!