Have you ever had that feeling that you were adrift? That whatever you were on was away from any visible shore? I'm not talking in the physical sense, but that nothing-seems-to-make-any-sense emotional feeling. Things just come and go and you can't even figure out what you are doing or what you have done.

    At the end of the day you look around and think, "Now what did I accomplish today?" The truth is, nothing seemed to get started. You start to do something and you get distracted. Or the interest level just sort of lies there like a sleeping dog. All the while you are thinking, "What in the world is going on?" It's as if you climbed aboard a boat with no oar or rudder and you're up the proverbial creek.

    The thing about it is that, when you get into that state, it seems that there is just one thing after another that keeps bombarding you. The next thing you know you're in a hole and haven't got the slightest idea of how you got there. You try picking yourself up, but you're not even sure of where to grab. And when you do grab onto something it seems to just come into the hole with you.

    Now what do I do? As someone much wiser than me said, when you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is quit digging. OK, so I quit digging. I'm still in a hole. I think when we reach this point it is time to find that friend that can lend us a helping hand. For some of us that is real tough to do. We love to be able to help our fellow man, but at the same time we don't know who to turn to or how to ask for help. After all, we've always been the self-sufficient type. We don't want to burden someone with our problems.

    It's easy to see why some people turn to a church or club of some sort. At least there they have some semblance of companionship. Then there are those of us who just don't fit in to any of those groups and even if we did could we then talk to anybody about our troubles? No, sometimes you end up where you just have to solve the problem on your own. That’s when you start to find out just how much inner strength you have. It's also a time to call upon that higher self, God, the Universe, the Great Spirit or whatever name you want to give it. No one is strong enough to handle every adversity without some help.

    Sometimes that help will come in the form of a phone call or maybe an email. Or you just might meet someone who fills that void. That friendship may be just a brief encounter but it lightened your load. That someone wasn't even aware you had a problem but came into your life at that low point and helped you turn your emotions around. Coincidence? I don't think so. The more I'm here on this globe we call earth the less I believe in coincidence.

    Everything and everyone has a purpose. The thing is, what is our purpose? Are you going to just wait and find out or are you going to create your own purpose? As I have come to understand it, we create our own purpose. If you just sit there waiting to have someone or something tell you what your purpose in life is, I think you are in for a long wait. I believe we are all here for a purpose and that we should strive every day to make this world a better place. Maybe all you need to do is smile and let everyone see it. You know when you see someone else smiling it picks you up, so why don't you become the one giving others a pick me up? The great thing about it is, when you smile you pick yourself up, also. Go ahead! Do it!