Lessons of Life - Part Four: Don't be Sad

The title of this entry is inspired by the book by 'Aaidh ibn Abdullah al-Qarni and also a blog I stumbled on, http://dontbesad.wordpress.com also inspired by the book.

There are moments that I catch myself falling into a pit of sadness - deep and dark. In the pit, I often feel lost and miserable, alone and searching. Whether it is linked to the departure of my late husband, or of other worries, it's not very clear... Perhaps a combination of the two results in something so devastating.

What does sad mean? Words associated with sad are:

bereaved, bitter, blue, cheerless, dejected, depressed, desolate, despairing, despondent, disconsolate, dismal, distressed, doleful, down, forlorn, gloomy, glum, grief-stricken, heartbroken, heavy-hearted, low, lugubrious, melancholy, miserable, morbid, morose, mournful, pensive, pessimistic, regrettable, sombre, sorry, sorrowful, troubled, unhappy, wistful, woebegone.

(most words obtained from: http://www.merriam-webster.com/, http://www.thesaurus.reference.com/)

Then of course there's also SAD, an acronym for Seasonal Affective Disorder. It often strikes those living in a country where there are changes in season and typically occurs in winter, whereby the days grow shorter - less light, lower temperature. Affected by this gloominess (especially in the UK), a person attacked with SAD will become depressed, having normally experiencing excessive eating and sleeping resulting the most obvious: weight gain. So, SAD really is synonym to sad. Interesting.

Some people feel sad when they are weighed down by something in the past or present time, while others feel sad when anxious of their future. Regardless of what the source of your sadness may be, the idea is to not let it get to you. Reach out of the pit and do fill the heart with all of the opposite: feeling of gladness (syukr), joy, optimism and carefree. 'Aaidh Abdullah al-Qarni (2003)suggests keeping oneself active doing good deeds because "idleness is destructive". Hence, I'd say get up and indulge in activities such as reading, writing (blogs included!), working, shopping (yes, ladies...), cooking, baking, cleaning, gardening, sewing, playing any form of games (Scrabulous maybe?), drawing, painting, visiting and exercising (most definitely).

Even though I may not have dealt with my own sadness well enough, I am grateful to wonderful friends who kept me sane when I wasn't so. But at the end of the day, everything else depended on your own will to choose the bright or gloomy side. Only faith in the Almighty kept me on and this verse from the Quran (12: 87) exemplifies it best:

"And never give up hope of Allah's Mercy.
Certainly no one despairs of Allah's Mercy, except the people who
disbelieve."

Bobby Mcferrin's song, Don't worry, be Happy, immediately came to mind as I'm writing this. So, I'm putting up the lyrics here so that you can tune in to it. Hopefully, it will put a smile on your face and chase the sadness away. I know it did mine!

Here is a little song I wrote

You might want to sing it note for note

Don't worry be happy

In every life we have some trouble

When you worry you make it double

Don't worry, be happy......

Ain't got no place to lay your head

Somebody came and took your bed

Don't worry, be happy

The land lord say your rent is late

He may have to litigate

Don't worry, be happy

Look at me I am happy

Don't worry, be happy

Here I give you my phone number

When you worry call me I make you happy

Don't worry, be happy

Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style

Ain't got no girl to make you smile

But don't worry be happy

Cause when you worry

Your face will frown

And that will bring everybody down

So don't worry, be happy (now).....

There is this little song I wrote

I hope you learn it note for note

Like good little children

Don't worry, be happy

Listen to what I say

In your life expect some trouble

But when you worry

You make it double

Don't worry, be happy......

Don't worry don't do it, be happy

Put a smile on your face

Don't bring everybody down like this

Don't worry, it will soon past

Whatever it is

Don't worry, be happy