I love quotes. I love short little sayings. With my ADD and a life of depression, it has always been the simple things and simple phrases that have stuck with me and inspired me. I’ve hung on them and passed them on in clinic practice to others. Movies and books today often carry famous quotes. Heroes of our time and the past have shared powerful concepts. These help to inspire us. They help us to move on. They help on the road of life and remind us: We are not alone There is a wisdom beyond ours that can help Dark or hard times are truly hard, but we can endure, recover and even transcend There is hope Presence and mindfulness is available to all, including the depressed or those with bipolar disorder These are to us as road signs and road guards are to cars: Stop Turn here Watch out Do not slow down, keep moving Fuel ahead Off ramp Quotations have their companions in this book, including short quips and affirmations. Affirmations represent some memorable phrase that affirms our own positive nature which is our humanity. Our worth and progress are validated. The worth of others it batched in that others are on a hard journey in life also. These phrases all point us to a reality that our fearful, tired, or depressed mind may not be able to do: think clearly and positively. Many don’t like these positivisms stating they are just a fake smile. But, in reality, the depressed and bipolar brain simply goes to a dark and morbid place during times of depression. The interpretation then is ALWAYS negative. There are biological processes that are at the root of this: a. The brain seeks to cope with difficulty with the only way it knows how by flooding the person with ancient reptilian fear b. The brain during depressed times cannot access the full fund of information in the library of the brain and thus cannot recall good memories, past successes and so on. Only the CURRENT negative now is available for thought. The result is one feels life is dark, hopeless, and despairing and that one has no opportunity or change. Suicidal thoughts can develop. Affirmations are a counter to this. More that being a simple stop sign for the negative thoughts, they are also directional signs that are true: the negative thoughts are FALSE and a positive view of life is the ONLY true view. So, positive thoughts are connected with a truthful reality whereas depressed thoughts are connected with a limited and mostly false interpretation of oneself, others, and the world. This short book includes some famous quotations from history as well as from cinema. There are some Bipolar Bear Affirmations from Boise Bipolar Center. Another series from Boise Bipolar is this “Note to Self” series of quips. Thrown in are some quotations from the Sufi poet Rumi from the 13th Century. Rumi had a positive view of struggle, life, and love. He adds some value and history to our mix of phrases. If you would like to suggest other affirmations, please contact us through our website www.boisebipolarcenter.com This book emphasizes exclusively the hope aspect needed to handle depression. Two future affirmation books are planned 1. Affirmations for anxiety and bipolar mixed state: finding peace and rest. 2. Affirmations for those bipolars with both depression and hypomania mania: how to find balance by handling both depressed times as well as calm manic times. A quote for you: In hard times we become more than we were before.