Recently I had a visit from a young woman who had been raised in Poland and had lived in the U.S. for only several years. She was still struggling with speaking English but had bravely started her own house cleaning business. She was a hard worker and her attitude was to please her customers and to do a really good job. She told me that when she was a child Poland was under Communist rule and that no one had anything, no healthy food, no toys, no clothing, no necessities of life. She said it was very hard but everyone in the community pulled together to help survive. She spoke of the different attitudes she saw here in America, how spoiled so many seemed to be. I could see that she had developed a great appreciation for the small gifts of life. I thought of the too high expectations many Americans have and how unhappy and depressed some can get when those expectations are not met. Depression can indeed come from too high expectations. If you perhaps are seeing that you have a level of depression caused by too high expectations consider lowering them. Find a way to appreciate what you do have. Small things are gifts. Enjoy them.
Wendy Hill, M.A., Ph.D. candidate (2013) has been in private practice in psychotherapy and hypnotherapy in San Diego and Encinitas for over thirty years. As a therapist and counselor Wendy specializes in transforming self-defeating core beliefs. Her therapy includes using hypnosis and counseling to treat anxiety, depression, addiction, childhood abuse, sexual abuse, relationships, self-confidence, and life challenges. Her website is www.wendyhill.com.