Where does depression hurt?

I think the commercial says it hurts everywhere; all I know is it hurts our ears. If there's any indication of the mood of society, just look at some of the most popular songs of the recent past: Anna Nalick – breath, James Blunt – beautiful, Daniel Powder – bad day, Goo Goo Dolls – better days, etc, etc. I can't say anything because I do like those songs (when played in moderation), but I've always liked that style (especially David Gray and Damien Rice); but I worry that so many people connect so strongly to them. I think we should bring back stuff like Jason Mraz – the remedy. On top of it being an upbeat song, it also has a good story. One of his friends was diagnosed with cancer and had the best attitude about it. There's just too much to get out of life to spend it feeling down.

How do I grasp what I have in life and still hold the motivation to do better? I recently went to Borders with a friend. We were lucky enough to find an open couch, so I sat and read a book about how to end poverty. I had plenty of my own problems of the week to dwell on, but I was reading it and had to look up and realize the paved paradise I was sitting in: air conditioning, seating more comfortable than what most sleep on, free clean water, my choice of processed pastries for a small fee, and a world of available knowledge in the books that surrounded me. If we have any motivation after recognizing our own blessings, it should be to see that others have the same opportunity to enjoy the life we can enjoy, and hope that they'll eventually pass it on too.

Opportunity.org