Ever have one of those moments when you think,
"If I have one more thing hit me, I'm going to give up."
And then it's like Life smirks at you and says,
"Oh yeah? Let's see about that!"
And it throws one more thing at you.
What is up with that anyway?
How cruel does Life have to be?
How many things must we bear, before we are permitted
Ever start to question life in this way? Ever start to wonder if it's worth it? I'm sure I'm not the only one for whom this has crossed their mind. I could be wrong, I suppose. But I doubt it. This is why this quote has meant a good deal over the course of my life, since I first saw it:
When things go wrong, don't go with them.
~ Elvis Presley
Um...yeah.
I believe this goes with the idea of resilience.
Definition of resilience in English:
noun
Syllabification: re·sil·ience
Pronunciation: /rəˈzilyəns/
1 The ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity:
nylon is excellent in wearability and resilience
2 The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness:
the often remarkable resilience of so many British institutions
(Definition care of Oxford Dictionaries)
Using the second definition, we might possibly see how when things go wrong, we needn't allow them to drag us down. We can get through the grief and all its many parts, hoping for healing and better things ahead, and when we are able to stand on our own, we can choose to create positive from the experience, rather than carrying the pain and misery with us, and leaving its residue on all around us.
The thing is, things are going to go wrong, at some point. I've had one diagnosis after another, feeling my body become more annoying and less able to just push forward. I've no idea what the future holds, but I've the feeling that things are going to keep progressing along the same line, and I need to find that positive feeling, to adopt or maintain a positive attitude. If I don't, then I'm likely to turn into a very bitter human being who surrounds myself with dark and negative energy.
So, instead, I'm feeling like I'm racing against a clock and since the length of it is unknown, I only know I need to get as much good done as possible in that time. Can I do enough? Can I feel at the end of my life, or the end of my ability to continue doing what I love to do, satisfied that I did the most and best I could?
My friends, I know a number of you also feel similarly. Don't panic over what you can't do, but allow your abilities to do what they permit. It is rather difficult to experience, so you must choose wisely, but starting small in your plans, and tending to them daily so you can make it a slow, more deliberate and gentle progression, rather than a hastily thrown together mess that won't support you when you need it most. It is possible, and it does help. As I work on it, myself, just the process of trying to adapt to the new means of moving forward somehow gives me hope that the future will not be the dark, cold ending I have feared from time to time.
So what can you do? Start small, first of all. I began to work on finding ways to become more efficient at tasks, so that when I have less energy and stamina, I can still manage to accomplish at least something. Breaking tasks down into smaller parts can be helpful. I believe I've discussed that before; rather than conquering one room, for instance, take one job at a time, such as dusting, wiping a surface, clearing one set of things away, etc.. And get help when you need support. It really depends on what it is you're trying to accomplish, but while sometimes it feels like you're not doing nearly enough, for me, I find that being able to say I accomplished anything besides my most basic needs is a somewhat satisfying thing at the end of the day.
I would love your ideas, insights and feedback, my friends. If you have suggestions for how to break tasks down, how to not allow things that go wrong to drag us down, or have further questions, feel free to post them below, or on the post shared on the PB Facebook Community Page. It's always wonderful when we can learn from each other, and often I learn things from comments that I'd never considered before, but that are brilliant and very helpful! We can do this, and it's wonderful that we can do it together.
Better days ahead, my friends!
So what can you do? Start small, first of all. I began to work on finding ways to become more efficient at tasks, so that when I have less energy and stamina, I can still manage to accomplish at least something. Breaking tasks down into smaller parts can be helpful. I believe I've discussed that before; rather than conquering one room, for instance, take one job at a time, such as dusting, wiping a surface, clearing one set of things away, etc.. And get help when you need support. It really depends on what it is you're trying to accomplish, but while sometimes it feels like you're not doing nearly enough, for me, I find that being able to say I accomplished anything besides my most basic needs is a somewhat satisfying thing at the end of the day.
I would love your ideas, insights and feedback, my friends. If you have suggestions for how to break tasks down, how to not allow things that go wrong to drag us down, or have further questions, feel free to post them below, or on the post shared on the PB Facebook Community Page. It's always wonderful when we can learn from each other, and often I learn things from comments that I'd never considered before, but that are brilliant and very helpful! We can do this, and it's wonderful that we can do it together.
Better days ahead, my friends!
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