In 1989, I fell into a depression that would last five years. During that half-decade, I slept about 18 hours a day in avoidance of my mental anguish—that inner hell that made suicide seem like a gentle alternative.

My five-year journey was spent trying new medications with new side effects, always being met with new disappointment when they failed to relieve my symptoms. After running out of new medications to try, I endured the unequaled experience of 21 shock treatments, again without success. With no other choice but to give up, I once again tried medications that had already failed me. Finally, only a couple months later, I found a medication to balance the chemicals in my brain that caused the disorder. Today, I have been symptom-free for over 7 years.

I will never forget the day the depression lifted. After almost five-years of constant and never-ending mental and physical pain, I opened my eyes upon waking to a new world that was foreign to me. I felt peace. There was silence in my mind. It was so quiet inside my head that for the first time in years I heard the birds singing outside my window. And my wife’s voice never sounded so sweet and loving as when she said good morning to me within minutes of my waking.

I truly felt reborn that morning and the days and months that followed. In fact, my rebirth was so real to me that I expected magical things to happen—and they did. Abundance, loving relationships, and new amazing experiences flowed into my life. I walked into each new day as if holding hands with my Creator; I was certain that each day was the beginning of an incredibly gifted experience. And I got what I anticipated.

Today I know that my gift was not just the relief I found from my depression, but also the depression itself that taught me to appreciate so many things in life that I once took for granted. My rebirth was real, but only because I saw myself as reborn and expected new and wonderful experiences to follow. We all have the opportunity to be reborn each day. We need not suffer to find renewal. It is only the relief of suffering that often makes us think we are deserving. But we are all deserving to begin our life anew at any moment we choose.

In the course of the past 7 years, I have discovered that rebirth is truly a choice. In fact, it is a result of our own declaration to be reborn. My life since my depression has not been all roses and whipped cream, but it has been exactly what I expected it to be at any given moment. When I expected struggle, I got struggle. When I expected ease, I got ease. Once I caught on to this principle, I realized that I had the power all along to cause struggle or ease depending upon my expectations—all I needed to do was declare it with full knowledge and belief that it would result.

There is no better time to declare your rebirth than at the beginning of a new year. So as we change our calendars, be sure to change your expectations for life as well. The Universe has no choice but to present you with what you declare for it. Expect the most magical year of your life and you will get it, if you truly believe it to be. There is not one of us on earth who has not suffered this past year. Let us all make the upcoming year a more peaceful, loving and joyous time to live. Happy New Year and happy rebirth to all.

"I love the man that can smile in trouble,
that can gather strength from distress,
and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the
business of little minds to shrink;
but he whose heart is firm, and whose
conscience approves his conduct,
will pursue his principles unto death." 

~ Thomas Paine

"As human beings we all want to be happy and free from misery… we have learned that the key to happiness is inner peace. The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment, fear and suspicion, while love and compassion and a sense of universal responsibility are the sources 
of peace and happiness."

~ Dalai Lama

"If it's never our fault, we can't take responsibility for it. If we can't take responsibility for it, we'll always 
be its victim."

~ Richard Bach

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