And Then Depression Set In

There's not much I can write about depression that probably hasn't already been written. (Although that's probably true about most topics).

But I can't help but wonder - does a depressed outlook occur because bad things are happening? Or do bad things happen because of a depressed outlook?

While I don't think I go as far as to buy the whole "If you believe it, it will come" philosophy, it does seem that when I am upbeat about life, good things continue to happen. When I'm down, it seems that a string of bad events come one after another.

Is it just a matter of attitude? And can attitude affect reality? Or do I just shrug off the bad when I'm up, and dwell on it when I'm down?

I do think that it's true that if you want to ride on a boat, you need to stand by the river. Seek and ye shall find, and all that. So attitude can change reality, but not in a metaphysical sense. With a positive attitude you notice the opportunities, and have the energy to capitalize on them.

So now the question is...how does one simply change an attitude?