Active and Passive

This isn't a grammar lesson. It is, perhaps, a life lesson!

I was talking with a friend about ways to avoid depression. I know I've mentioned it before, but one of my methods is to write things down. It forces me to identify just what it is that's bothering me, and give it up to God. And of course I write letters to people, too. Or blog posts.

And then I asked my friend...You don't feel sad when you're in the midst of DOING something, do you? Talking to a friend, going to church...

No, she didn't.

Loneliness is certainly a part of the equation. But when I thought about how writing helps, I remembered my teacher-training, and the various skill areas that we talked about. +/-

-Writing and speaking are active skills.
-Reading and listening are passive (and here you could include watching TV, browsing the Internet, etc.), in that we receive input.

The passive skills are an important part of life. But let's be honest...they leave room for idleness. We can lose ourselves in a television program, and perhaps even forget about our problems for a short time. But in the end we have not done anything productive, and our problems are still there. When we receive helpful information, we have to do something with it in order for it to be effective.

Writing and speaking activities let us get those feelings OUT so they won't bother us anymore. This comes easier for some people than for others. :)

Have you ever noticed how staying busy helps you to flee from certain temptations? This is a part of perseverance, which is right and good. But if there is an ongoing problem, it should be addressed, as actively as possible!

That is all.