Do Something For Others - How To Beat Depression

My father has this amazing tradition where every Thanksgiving Day eve, he contacts someone who has made a substantial impact within his life to let them know and to thank them for what they had done for him. He does not do this lightly, and he has very specific guidelines that he uses before any particular person makes the list. His criteria (verbatim):

First, their support of my success must have occurred at least five years ago. By selecting this criterion, it's less likely to be a fresh emotional memory or a unique way to thank someone for a nice performance appraisal. The delay allows for the articulation of a lasting conviction and not a spur of the moment decision.

Secondly, they must not be able to influence my life now or in the future. This criteria helps ensure that this does not appear (and is not) "sucking up" to someone to get a promotion, bonus, or other recognition. It's not self-serving.

Last, their contribution to my success was not just because they were a family member. So they didn't do it out of love or family obligation, but their contribution to my success was genuine and was because they saw something in me that was worthy of development or they just did it out of the goodness of their heart.

He started this tradition way back in 1994 and since then has taken time to honor 11 people who had a profound impact on his life. He does this to ensure that these people understand the impact they made on his life, and not surprisingly, his correspondence is met with unparalleled gratitude and humility by those he has chosen to honor. It is an amazing tradition. And it is emotionally rewarding for both parties.

To listen to my father speak about it, you would think that it is as much of an enjoyment for him to recognize these people from his past as it is for them to be recognized. Doing something nice and genuinely heart-felt for another person is incredibly beneficial and will really boost the way in which we think about ourselves. What's more powerful than creating a positive experience for another person? It's extremely therapeutic - particularly when you're battling depression.

Doing something for someone else is often as simple as praying for them or can be as extravagant as looking them up after having lost contact for a decade to thank them for what they did in your life. As a meaningful distraction to depression, it enables you to concentrate on something positive, and the reception that you get from either knowing that you did something nice for someone else or their thanks offers an amazing boost to self-worth and feelings of accomplishment - both of which can help you beat depression.

Some easy things to for someone else include: 

1. Pray for somebody
2. Thank them for something that they did
3. Let their boss know what a great job they are doing (e.g., after receiving good service at a restaurant)
4. Pay for the meal for the person in the car behind you in the drive through line
5. Volunteer at your local church, soup kitchen, or any other worthwhile cause you may be passionate about
6. Fix a meal for someone and take it to them
7. Compliment somebody
8. Shovel your neighbor's driveway after a heavy snow
9. Leave your significant other an I love you note in a random place they will find it

The goal here is to help you to give attention to someone besides yourself in a positive and happy way. Doing this regularly will have such a great impact on your overall approach to life in general. Start really small; you'll be pleasantly surprised about the rewards.

Resources like MAGNIFICENT can really help fight and beat depression. If you like my father's tradition, he setup a website to allow others to do the same thing. Check out www.helpedmesucceed.com.

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