Something kind of interesting happened to me last week. For the first time in at least five years, I actually felt a bit depressed. Nothing major, just couldn't get out of bed and felt like it was all hopeless so why even try? Everyone knows me as Mr. Optimism and "there ain't no keeping down the undefagitable Moses Ma", but for some odd reason, I just felt terrible, bored, profoundly exhausted. I really am a stranger to depression, because I normally have a great deal of creative energy and the ability to focus no matter what's happening around me or in my life. However, I found that depression doesn't really fight fair - not only does life start to look like it sucks, but our own sense of worth begins to be questioned.

But don't worry, Nina helped kick me back into high gear. She just told me to go mountain biking, which I haven't done in a few weeks. I definitely needed to push the endocrine system back into high gear, and let a second wind of endorphins wash through my system and reset my emotional computer. I usually ride up Mt. Tam, which is about 10 miles in distance, but a mile straight up! Also, it's usually quite sunny in Marin. Fortunately, this worked and I'm all chipper again. Thank god it was a light case! I have so much more compassion now for those who are clinically depressed!

Anyway, I suspect that the onset of this minor case of depression was triggered by several interlocking causative factors - (i) the weather in San Francisco is terrible, very foggy with no sunshine during a time when my body is EXPECTING sunshine, producing Seasonal Affective Disorder, (ii) a number of reports that the market is actually poised to slide back into recession next year, (iii) I haven't made time to meditate for a couple of weeks now, and this is actually the most powerful weapon in the arsenal for the fight for personal happiness.

So what I'm doing to counteract the depression on an ongoing basis: (i) getting as much sun and exercise as I can, (ii) redoubling my efforts in terms of work, (iii) making time to meditate more.