"Happiness does not depend on outward things, but on the way we see them."
— Tolstoy

As Van Gogh became more depressed the birds in his paintings got lower and lower on the horizon. He painted this the same month he committed suicide. Subclinical depression is almost the norm in our society. The root cause of most depression is negative thinking, which triggers negative emotions and associated physiological changes. These causal factors revolve in a vicious circle that must be broken. At the core of most depression is a negative judgment of the Tao ("Life sucks and then you die. I never get a break. Existence is meaningless. Nothing I do will ever work. I'll never have the money/job/body/lover I need to be whole and make life worthwhile," etc.). Such global negative attitudes toward life, whether conscious or unconscious, will block the flow of life energy through your body and reliably lead to depression. Depression is a yin state — passive, watery, tending toward inertia and lethargy. To change it, summon your inner fire by getting up and becoming active! Do necessary tasks that can be accomplished in small steps — cleaning your living space (which is also morale boosting) is a great place to start. Get some fresh air, exercise and eat a high vitality diet. Shift from internal considering (what you are feeling, what others think of you, what you want) to external considering (compassionate empathy for what others are going through) and service to others. You may have a deficit of meaning in your life. Ask yourself what you will remember well on your deathbed and get busy doing it!