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Artists
from around the world have joined together with inspiring
quotes.Helping those who are suffering Depression or a mental
Illness to pick up the phone or talk to someone and ask for
help.
If you are interested in adding a quote please email
us.
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*Our
music is, and will always be about "real people and
places". Suicide is unfortunately a very real thing
also and we encourage anyone with problems to seek help.
Regardless of how hopeless things may seem, talking
things through the vital ingredient to turning things
around.*
Rob & Garry The Bobkatz
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“It’s
good to have a group like Suicide Awareness
to turn to in times of need. I fully support the organization
and would advise anyone with a problem to
get in touch with them”
Daniel O’Donnell
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"Delight in the Lord, and he will
give you the desires of your heart" Christopher Elliott |
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It
is not going to help things by hiding, things always
get better. We are sure that a lot of people do not
think that when they reach the brink, but if you are
not around, they can not get better.
Hang on in there and speak to the people at Suicide
Awareness, their website is right in front of you. Let
them speak to you, and help you. Keep listening to music
- we are not saying that it will change the world for
you, but it may give you a time away from your troubles.
Sometimes when you are not thinking about them, a lot
of them disappear.
Touring Australia This June 2008 "Battlefield"
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I
have had loved ones in my life who have suffered depression
and mental illness. I too have dealt with depression
myself. All I can say that life is a precious gift and
to make the most out of it is the biggest gift you can
give to yourself. No matter how dark it is or how hard
the climb, many love you and want to help you.
Don't be afraid to ask - You'll never be alone.
Rose Carleo
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If
you think that life isn't worth living you're not alone.
A lot of us have felt the same at various times in the past.
We know it's hard but think to yourself
"There is going to be another perfect day"
All the best K. PP The Skels
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“I know sometimes life can be a hard
road. Disappointment, despair and depression can begin to
overtake our days. I’ve been there too, being diagnosed
with cancer some years ago, out of work, but now thankfully
recovered – with the help of some kind and very skilled
medicos.
And when I get despondent, I’m always reminded of our band
tours in Brazil, where we saw people sick and living on
the street with no job, no family, no medical help and never
knowing where their next meal would come from. It made me
realise how lucky we are to live in this country, where
there are good people and services to turn to for help when
we’re in trouble.
I would urge anyone who reads this, who finds themselves
in that downward spiral when all hope seems lost, to think
about what you have: life, the air that you breathe, the
trees and the birds, the ocean, all the good simple things
that exist in our universe.
Don’t think about what you don’t have, it’s a waste of time.
Get help if you need it, because it’s there for the asking.
In the words of an unknown wit: “Life’s pretty good, considering
the alternative.”
Best Wishes, Chris Bailey Bassist, GANGgajang
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"Depression
is a hard road to travel but there is always a light
at the end of the tunnel, even if sometimes you can't
see it. Life is way too precious to consider giving
it away and that's why it is important to have support
available to those people in need. We only get one
chance to live life so we might as well make the most
of everyday! Enjoy life and take care of the ones
who struggle."
CATHERINE BRITT (Singer/Songwriter).
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Believe in
yourself, always know that when things get really bad and
hit rock bottom there's no place left to go but back up.
Say to yourself every day, I am a winner, I am a winner,
I am a Winner! and someday you will start to believe it.
Ain't Love A Wonderful Thing
Gayle Ackroyd
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People
say they understand what you're going through. They say they
know how you feel and that there are so many reasons for you
to hold on. But the truth is that they don't. No on can feel
what you feel. No one can truly grasp the weight of your pain
and the hurt that you experience when depression and suicidal
thoughts enter into your life. So all consuming is the chance
to just end it all, to be able to simply cease the constant
struggle that is your day-to-day existence that it becomes
an almost comforting idea. To feel no more pain, no more confusion,
no more life to contend with. No more struggle.
They tell you that there is hope, yet you feel none. They
tell you that the world is so beautiful and worth staying
alive to partake in, yet you see none of it. They tell you
that despite what you feel now things will improve, yet you
cannot find hope.
In this darkness, those who want to help you seek to instil
a single glimmer of light. A single spark that may ignite
further and grow into a raging fire, burning with a passion
for life. They see your struggle and most importantly, they
see you as you cannot see yourself.
Every
single creature upon this earth is in its own way
is utterly unique. The way in which you experience
and interact with your life is unique. And regardless
of who you are and where you come from, your uniqueness
is your gift to the rest of humanity.
You may feel that you offer nothing to those around
you but the truth is that without you being here,
just being alive, the world is lessened.
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The lives of the people around you are lessened. Despite
the emotional darkness that envelops you, you as a
human being are the very essence of potential. An
infinite wellspring of creativity and beauty.
The beginning is to try to see yourself as you are
and not to compare yourself with the accomplishments
of others.
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Because
as seemingly successful, beautiful and skilled someone may
appear, they can never posses the uniqueness that is you and
thus can never create what you create. They can never succeed
as you can succeed.
Some
peoples accomplishments may appear large, some may appear
small, but to compare them is a futile gesture. For all successes
are great in the eyes of those who achieve them. One may climb
to the summit of the tallest mountain yet who could deny the
fist step of overcoming mental illness as anything less? In
fact to my mind, mighty Everest is but a veritable anthill
in comparison to the soaring peaks of inner realisation.
So
with this said I wish you well, I wish you hope, love and
happiness. But above all I wish you life. Difficult at times
there is no denying, but you are here to experience it and
there is nothing more precious than that. Death finds us all
in the end, do not rush to greet it. Find the reasons to be
alive, no matter what they are, and cling to them. Fight with
all you have for all you could gain, live to find out who
you are and who you could be.
Best wishes D.
Descendants of Cain
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“The
German artist Gerhard Richter said that ‘nature, in
all its forms, is always against us because it knows
no meaning,’ and that ‘every beauty that we see in
landscape, every enchanting color effect, every tranquil
scene...’ is a projection. But I also believe that
for this same reason, we absolutely must pursue ‘every
beauty’ wherever it can be found. Because, as Richter
admits, ‘we are still capable of producing a spark
of hope which we can also call love’ whenever we see
something beautiful.”
Find something beautiful to look at today even if
just for a moment. It will light a spark in you.
Rennie Sparks, The Handsome Family
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"
One Kiss, one Love to open wide the door… "
My Story (by New Risen)
I
grew up in a middle-class family, but after my parents
got divorced when I was 10, things started to go wrong
with me. And years after years, I felt alone, misunderstood,
changing my mood from one day to another, sometimes
happy, sometimes sad, often sad. Later I went into various
drugs and alcohol, having sex with everyone just to
find this little tenderness I was looking for. But I
never found it (or never saw it) and of course, I wanted
to commit suicide many times…
BUT, I had one thing for me, it was my dreams ! And
yes I was happy with my dreams, it was my private garden.
So one day I said to myself " STOP ! I'm not mad, I
want to live my dreams, I don't want to care anymore
about all these people who don't understand me, let's
change my life ! ". And I did.
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By
chance, I found a job in another city, so everything
was new for me. So I concentrated my mind on my new
job, my new flat, and soon I met new people. Fresh air
! I think it's all we need sometimes to make things
go better, just get fresh air and let the past behind
! Then I started to feel great again and at last, I
met that special one...
"If
you are still searching for the flame If you're ever
looking for some warmth I could give you more than fear
and pain Here you will be welcome to my wisdom… One
Kiss, one Love to open wide the door…"
('Private
Cell' - New Risen) I hope I'll have the chance to play
in Australia one day and meet all of you at Suicide
Awareness.Inc. Enjoy my songs, they are the reflection
of my life, of my dreams, of my hopes, in a romantic
way. Believe in your dreams !
All my love, New Risen.
(www.newrisen.com)
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"Look
at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or
store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father
feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they,
therefore do not worry about tomorrow."
another thing I always say to myself is this:
"aim at nothing thats what i'll hit"
Steve Graham
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Life
is hard sometimes - really hard. So hard it seems that
you cannot go on another day. Sometimes there aren't
any easy answers but talking with a friend, brother,
sister, parent, auntie, uncle, boss, neighbour, counsellor
- whoever you can talk to - is enough to share the pain
and share the load. I truly believe there are always
options and answers even when it seems there are none.
Under stress, the brain can do some crazy things to
us but our hearts often tell a different story.
I love my life and every day I feel lucky to be alive.
I have personally experienced depression and through
therapy I learned learn to share my heart and soul with
the people around me because they are the ones who will
catch me when I fall. Even our dearest friends can not
always tell how we feel unless we share it with them.
My message to anyone who reads this is simple - realise
you are not alone and start sharing your true self with
the people in your life right now. There is no need
to feel embrassed about being in pain. There is no shame
is asking for help and more often than not, people are
ready and willing to be there for you if you let them.
We are all part of a greater community of spirit and
we all have a part to play, no matter how small. Life
is a blessed gift that we have all been given. Understand
that you are part of a bigger picture, have faith in
your place in the world and hang on long enough for
your path to be revealed.
Katie Underwood
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We
all have a special gift to give, Our very own piece to
the puzzle. It Cannot be completed without you, all of
us have at some time lost sight of this. But even despair
brings its gifts, it offers strength. Find your gift this
is what you are here for. To find it and to share it.You
Count. You are needed more than you yet know Trust Trust…
and most of all be gentle on yourself. Please support
this important and worthwhile cause.. Let us help each
other to help each other……
Bronnie Ware |
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| " I grew up in an area of SE Qld where the youth suicide
rate was unusually high, and during my years at High School
there were a number of suicides amongst my peers. The
hardest thing to observe was not so much the immediate
grief of friends and family but the burden of questions,
guilt and sadness these people were forced to bear for
the rest of their lives. We all find ourselves scared,
hurt and frustrated in our lives at various points. Don't
let your legacy be that of pain and suffering and wasted
potential, let your legacy be that of wisdom, laughter,
passion and open love for those closest to you...for once
you are gone your legacy will be all that's left." Asa
Broomhall |
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"Don't compare yourself to others,
because of all the billions of people on this planet,
there is only one YOU. Everyone is unique, and no-one else
can live your life. When you feel down, try to remind
yourself of how special you really are".
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I believe life is what you make it, if there’s something not right in your life; it’s up to you to make a change. Your destiny is in your control. Aim high and if you want something bad enough you will get it. “Determination and persistence is the key to success”. If you’re feeling down on a regular basis, and your bad days turn into bad weeks and months, then talk to someone, let it all out, you’re not alone!
Kelly Hope
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Life is kinder than our own minds... there was a time when I didn't
want to wake up the next day I was so down... I had split up with my
partner and my teenage daughter left home all in the same week !...
I was in grief and shock... I was no longer a wife or a mother... I
didn't know who I was...after some weeks of constant crying.. I went
to the doctor... I couldn't stop crying and said give me some pills to make me feel better ... she said she wouldn't as they were
addictive ... she said I should make a plan for myself ... I went
home and went to sleep and the next day decided to take up flamenco
guitar! It was the hardest thing I ever did but I loved the
lessons ... they gave me a challenge and made me forget my misery
and slowly slowly my life came back to me. The beauty and passion of the music healed me ..... I also started exercising...I have been
doing Tai Chi and Chi Gung which really moved my energy... My desire
to live and celebrate life came back to me and now I am remarried
and have reconnected with my daughter and I feel like a different
person...
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The thing is everything changes... even a mad state of mind that feels so solid changes....I feel blessed... sadly I have had some friends who have committed suicide since and I just wish they could have realised that things do change... and they made a fatal decision at a low moment.... and life is a miracle and changes andrefreshes itself all the time... forgiveness is a big part of it all too....so if you find yourself in this black space just remember you aren't the only one thats been here ... there are many of us and talk to someone...get some help ... there's no shame in it...I have a song called "Wolf" and it's about that very thing .You think
you're so alone until you talk to someone...it goes... "Wolf out in the rain ,come round this gypsy fire ,Love will heal your pain, sit here by the survivors"... welcome! Kavisha Mazzella
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“We all learn something new every day
and we never know what we might learn
tomorrow. We are each of us unique but you
can bet that you are not alone. There is always someone who will understand how you feel and there is always, always tomorrow and more that we can learn about ourselves and about the wonder of the world.”
Cheers Judy Small (Australia)
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'We
all fall down sometimes, but we get up again, love and
truth and spirit refuse,they won't give in, and its
a long road to freedom but how sweet it will be, when
you walk away from a lack of love, that kind of cruelty,
when your'e just holding on -----hold on" Marcia Howard
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I appeal to anyone considering suicide to please think twice. The mystery of life is far beyond our comprehension. There are people willing to help even though it may seem hopeless. Seek someone out, don't leave people suffering because you want to end your suffering. To me it would take great courage to end my life, so please turn that courage around to save your life and try to find the love that will lift the veil of darkness.
The Old Spice Boys |
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"The past is gone, the future is yet to come. This moment is a gift, that is why it is called the present."
Deepak Chopra
These words have often helped me.
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Paul Rodgers' passion is writing and performing music. He founded and led 3 bands, Free, Bad Company and The Firm, to worldwide success. He has sold over 90 million records during his 39 year career and released 30 CD's. He is one of the most sought after and respected vocalists and song writers in rock music. Recently hitting #1 on the Nielsen Soundscan charts with his Gold Solo DVD "Live in Glasgow", Rodgers is currently writing and recording a new Queen + Paul Rodgers CD.
"Paul Rodgers has been, and still is by far, one of the finest talents of our musical genre."
Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page 2007 |
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I have experienced suicide and mental illness in my family and my close
circle of friends.
From my own investigation through meditation and study I have come to
understand
that suicide is definitely not a way out.
Some people think that by ending our current life all the problems and
suffering associated with that life end also.
This is not the case.
Our problems and suffering will follow us into our next life and the
next and the next, because our subtle mind does not cease at the time
of death, we carry potentials or seeds within our mind which will
ripen in future lives.
We think our problems are something other than our mind. We can
understand that this is not true because we have seen people who seem
to have seemingly perfect conditions for happiness, money,
relationships, fame, yet still these people are not happy. We also see
the opposite, people who seem to have not perfect conditions but are
experiencing happiness. This proves that happiness is a state of mind
and is not caused by external conditions.
The only way to solve our problems is to identify what they are, what
is the cause of negative minds, and go about applying the opponents to
those negative minds.
Suicide is a form of self cherishing, a mind that considers oneself as
supremely important. Believing that I and my suffering is the most
important thing. When we feel like this, we can contemplate the
suffering of others, think about the endless suffering of other people
who are experiencing awful conditions. We can contemplate animals and
the kinds of suffering they experience, we can develop a mind that
wishes to help those who are suffering and then give our time, effort
and love. Giving is an opponent to self cherishing.
We can contemplate and meditate on this for ourselves with the help of
people like Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, the great meditator and teacher
who wrote the book 'Transform your life' and 'Joyful path of good
fortune'.
He offers practical advice that I can say from my own experience has
helped me.
Suicide perpetuates the cycle of suffering for the person who dies,
their friends, family and ultimately all beings.
May we all experience a world where not even the word suicide exists.
Love Mel.
Mel Watson (Fruit).
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'I only realised quite recently that absolutely everybody has times when they feel completely rejected, useless and unloved - and here I was thinking it was just me! What I've realised is, as bad as things can seem sometimes, there's always something great coming soon that makes it all worthwhile in the end. Talking about what's getting you down, getting it out somehow (singing at the top of your voice is a great way to let it out) really really makes a difference.
You're never alone!'
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Dianna Corcoran. Australian Country Music's Female Artist of the Year 2008
"Depression Leading to Suicide is a serious thing.
People who have depressed love ones need to take notice and
those who are sufferers need to seek help.
Life is worth living and will ALWAYS get better"
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Having suffered from occasional bouts of depression throughout my life, I am certainly familiar with the suicidal thoughts that often accompany it. Though I have learned to work through these times without harm, unfortunately a few of my friends did not. Realizing that in these cases I had been pretty much ineffectual at helping them fight their demons, launched me on a personal quest to study my own thinking and emotional processes. I wanted to know and to understand what was going on in my head and why, but also exactly what process led up to it, initiated it, sustained it and made the attempts of others to help me, all but pointless. What worked for me was the stunning realization of two simple truths. First and most important is the proven fact that: EMOTION FOLLOWS THOUGHT, not the other way around. When I told someone I couldn't help my feelings I was wrong. I obviously had chosen my feelings through indulgence in self-deprecating thought.
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Yes, I know most do not want to hear that, I certainly didn't, but once it is understood and accepted we can no longer blame others or outside past or present situations for our personal feelings. WE are the only ones truly responsible. This may at first seem harsh but I would argue that it's ultimately liberating because once one realizes this simple fact one is back in control of one's own thoughts and emotions and must face the truth of no matter what path we choose it is ultimately our decision. The second simple truth is that NOTHING IS EVER STATIC. Life is by it's very nature a dynamic changing thing and though bad times are unavoidable, there are uncountable wonderful ones right over the next rise. How do I know this? I am one of the curious ones who learned to question what that negative thought in my head was trying to convince me and it's made all the difference in the world. ~ Bill (ANUBIS SPIRE) |
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