How do you stay inspired during uninspiring times?

[AmateisGal]

I feel your pain (literally). I'm on year two of psoriatic arthritis, which is a different mechanism but falls into the auto-immune category with rheumatoid. In the midst of switching from Humira (which worked for a while) to Enbrel. The exhaustion is what caught me off guard, and is a bigger modifier of my life than the pain. Just trying to get used to the cycles, as you said, and keep things as normal as possible. Thought you might like a little company at the pity party.

Thanks for the company! The exhaustion is killer, isn't it? It's like the very marrow of your bones is tired.

Psoriasis and Psoriatic arthritis here.
Keep fighting the good fight.

That's the key. Always keep fighting!

 

[AmateisGal]

What a great thread... I've not been a member for too long, and am still learning my way around the Lounge.

What keeps me inspired?

I tend to be an up-beat kind of guy... I've had a great deal of life experiences just work against me, yet I tend to be positive about Life and about the Future.... yet it is easy to get down.

Over the past few years (5 or so...) my position at work has been tenable at best. I teach at a small university in the Mississippi Delta... my position has been threatened with elimination... and it always gets close... but I seem to be able to hang on. Well, this last November, I was told that my position is being eliminated. I get to come back one more year under a terminal contract... but I am really opposed to that. I' have received the College of Business Outstanding Professor Award twice in 6 years... as well as the university-wide award once. I am respected by my colleagues, students (present and past) as well as the industry people who hire 'my kids.' I am currently discussing opportunities with a major Mississippi university, so things could improve. It would be especially nice to have a smaller school tell you that you are no longer needed... and then to be hired by a major school.

Another problem that I am dealing with has been my recently being diagnosed with a pulmonary disease that was the cause of my Mother's death. I am not sure that I am going to be able to fully honor my teaching commitments for the next year... so if that comes to be, I would rather be here where I have a great deal of time in... rather than to be at a new school, and not be able to honor my obligation to them. I have a great work ethic...

Anyway... what keeps me inspired...???

I adore the American South West... I have no idea if I had been a cowboy in a previous Life... or maybe a Native American... but I just feel so 'at home' when I am out there. My favorite place to be is Monument Valley... but I want to get out to visit the canyons and such in Utah.

I've also spent a great deal of time studying my family's genealogy... it is so interesting. So SO much to learn... to read...

I also consider myself to be an amateur historian... I LOVE Civil War History... So many talking points... so many topics into which one can spend an unlimited amount of time studying/reading...

But my most favorite... Monument Valley...

I don't consider myself to be 'religious,' but I do think I am very 'Spiritual'... whatever it is I mean by that...

My Spiritual Journey... along with my Love for the mesas and buttes of the South West invigorate me. In some of my most trying times, I've loaded up my truck and just drove to get to where I wanted to be...

Obviously, I created a great love for western style hats... and that has just grown into all kinds of hats... but my favorites are still western influenced...

So, tonight, I'v been pondering a great deal of things... and found this... and I think it was a great way to let some of this out.

Having said what I have, Life is good... I saw a great prayer that someone wrote about the other day... and I think its going to become my mantra...

“Let me not die while I am still alive.”

This makes so much sense to me at this time...

Namasté

~shoes~

I hope things improve for you on the job and health front. It sounds like you have a very positive attitude. Good for you!

 

[AmateisGal]

Amateisgirl, very sorry to hear that. Hopefully, advances in medicine and your own body will, if not cure, then make it livable.

I have come to believe that health wise, we all have stuff by the time we hit middle age. I have mine (debilitating migraines and a back / neck that "goes out" when it decides it wants to), but as noted, I know few people in middle age who don't have something to deal with.

I am sincerely grateful that mine are not worse, but on any given day, once in awhile, it can get to me, but as we all seem to do, I try to remind myself how fortunate I am and how much worse it could be.

And nothing helps more than a good book that allows me to tune out the world because I am so sucked into the story.

Thanks. I will hit 40 this month, but I've been dealing with health issues ever since my daughter was born 15 years ago. It gets to you after awhile, like you said, but you gotta keep putting one foot forward and keep doing it.

My new mantra: when the milk spills, pour another glass.

 

[pawineguy]

Amateisgirl, very sorry to hear that. Hopefully, advances in medicine and your own body will, if not cure, then make it livable.

I have come to believe that health wise, we all have stuff by the time we hit middle age. I have mine (debilitating migraines and a back / neck that "goes out" when it decides it wants to), but as noted, I know few people in middle age who don't have something to deal with.

I am sincerely grateful that mine are not worse, but on any given day, once in awhile, it can get to me, but as we all seem to do, I try to remind myself how fortunate I am and how much worse it could be.

And nothing helps more than a good book that allows me to tune out the world because I am so sucked into the story.

Totally agree on all fronts, although I didn't consider myself middle age but have slowly come to terms with the math that says I am.

I find most of my inspiration in my boys, and in coaching youth sports. I enjoy teaching and watching boys and young men learn the life lessons that come with growth, disappointment, and occasionally learning how to deal with success gracefully.

 

[2jakes]

Thanks. I will hit 40 this month, but I've been dealing with health issues ever since my daughter was born 15 years ago. It gets to you after awhile, like you said, but you gotta keep putting one foot forward and keep doing it.

My new mantra: when the milk spills, pour another glass.

I worked for a television station for about 28 years.
Carrying the camera & gear for that amount of time gave me back problems in the last year
that I had to quit.
I have severe headaches that last on average 3 days .
There's no medicine that can cure this.
When I get these headaches, I have no enthusiasm for anything except to lay down, wrap an ace
bandage around my head & shut my eyes. Life is hell. I want to end.
But after several days, the headache pain slowly diminishes like a fever that is going away.
Soon everything will be all right. Life is beautiful & I want to live.
I don't feel sorry for myself.
If I do, I think of others who are in far worse situations & give thanks that I can recover.

Bottom line:

I think I'll have another glass of milk...Thank You !

a spoonful of chocolate syrup... would be grand...

 

[Big Man]

This is directed at those of you who find contemporary culture to be reprehensible due to many things already discussed on the FL such as decline of manners, shoddy merchandise, crummy customer service, bad economy, lack of style, pajamas in public, "reality TV", etc etc. ...

It's mind over matter. Translated that means: "I don't mind, because all that crap doesn't matter."

 

[PrettySquareGal]

It's mind over matter. Translated that means: "I don't mind, because all that crap doesn't matter."

The thing is, I do care. It matters to me.

 

[LizzieMaine]

As far as headaches go, I've had blinding -- literally, I lose my sight -- migraines since I was ten years old, and it took until I was fifty before I really figured out what the problem was: I simply wasn't getting enough sleep. Since I've been paying close attention to that -- and insisting on getting enough sleep, as in flat-out and non-negotiably refusing to work an early morning schedule the morning after working a late-night schedule, the migraines have been much rarer, and when I do get them they're easily controlled with a couple of Excedrin.

The old saw about "not burning the candle at both ends" is absolutely true, and if you defy it, you *will* pay in the end.

 

[Fading Fast]

For my migraines, I've had decent success with the group of medicines that came out in the '90s (sumatriptan) - it doesn't always work for me, but when it does, it's like a wonder drug.

I've tried to identify a trigger, like you have, and other than giving up bananas (which might or might not have helped), nothing seemed to make a difference.

When I get them and the medicine doesn't work, all I can do is lay down in a dark room for, sometimes, a day and wait for it to pass. The pain and nausea is overwhelming.

I have not missed one day of work in over twenty years - not one - other than to migraines.

 

[AmateisGal]

I get really bad tension headaches - they're not migraines as I (usually) don't have nausea with them, no auras, etc. They started when I wrenched my neck in high school and never had it looked at. I have tried *everything* to get rid of them: meds, chiropractors, acupuncturists, massage therapists, physical therapy, numerous doctors...I even have injections in my neck. Nothing works. So, I just have a headache every day. When they get really bad, I have to go to sleep; usually on those days, the trigger is being too tense or stressed out.

I'm done trying to find a cure. I've spent far too much time and money on it.

 

[AmateisGal]

I worked for a television station for about 28 years.
Carrying the camera & gear for that amount of time gave me back problems in the last year
that I had to quit.
I have severe headaches that last on average 3 days .
There's no medicine that can cure this.
When I get these headaches, I have no enthusiasm for anything except to lay down, wrap an ace
bandage around my head & shut my eyes. Life is hell. I want to end.
But after several days, the headache pain slowly diminishes like a fever that is going away.
Soon everything will be all right. Life is beautiful & I want to live.
I don't feel sorry for myself.
If I do, I think of others who are in far worse situations & give thanks that I can recover.

Bottom line:

I think I'll have another glass of milk...Thank You !

a spoonful of chocolate syrup... would be grand...

I'm so sorry. I know how you feel...it's a cycle. The days when we're hurting, we just want it to end. Then when we come out of it, life is indeed beautiful again. It's hard to get used to.

 

[AmateisGal]

To get this back on track (sorry, didn't mean to derail it):

How I stay inspired in uninspiring times...

1) Long walks through the park. We have a great walking trail through one of the oldest parks in our city and it goes right through our Veterans Memorial Garden, a quiet, somber place that pays tribute to those who served in America's wars. I never take music with me when I walk. If I did, I would miss out on the wonderful sounds going on around me...the chirping of squirrels, birds chattering (cardinals are my favorite), the breeze blowing through the trees and wildflowers, the sound of children playing on the playground. This walk centers me and fills me with peace.

2) I turn off social media after 5 p.m. I'm on the computer all day for work - no need to be on it all evening.

3) Long talks with my 15-year-old daughter.

 

[2jakes]

I'm so sorry. I know how you feel...it's a cycle. The days when we're hurting, we just want it to end. Then when we come out of it, life is indeed beautiful again. It's hard to get used to.

I envy LM.
If all it took was Excedrin & sleep.

But many times, it is very difficult to go to sleep.
I lay in bed for long periods & actually get tired trying to fall asleep.

Sometimes I log in to the FL hoping that by reading what has been posted
might help me to :yawn:

And sometimes it does.
Thanks "jp" !

And I've come to the conclusion that the body is like "borrowing money from a bank or better yet,
a loan shark !

I can "withdraw" several hours by staying up into the early dawn & have no hangover pain for several
days. But eventually the body never forgets & will take back with "interest" !

 

[Big Man]

The thing is, I do care. It matters to me.

I do care, too. My point was, there are a lot of things that I have absolutely no control over whatsoever. In those cases, I try my best to just not give them a thought. All the worrying and fretting in the world won't make one little bit of difference (except for causing me undue worry and stress), so why worry. In cases like this, it's "mind over matter."

 

[Fading Fast]

I do care, too. My point was, there are a lot of things that I have absolutely no control over whatsoever. In those cases, I try my best to just not give them a thought. All the worrying and fretting in the world won't make one little bit of difference (except for causing me undue worry and stress), so why worry. In cases like this, it's "mind over matter."

I thought that was what you meant as it is the same approach I try with most things that I care about but have no control over. When successful, it makes my life much better, but I'm not always successful as I care passionately about some of these issues and can't always "just let it go."

 

[PrettySquareGal]

I do care, too. My point was, there are a lot of things that I have absolutely no control over whatsoever. In those cases, I try my best to just not give them a thought. All the worrying and fretting in the world won't make one little bit of difference (except for causing me undue worry and stress), so why worry. In cases like this, it's "mind over matter."

It's not always simple (for me) to decide if acceptance of something framed as: "I can't do anything about it anyway so let it go" is passivity, apathy or mature acknowledgement of powerlessness.

 

[Big Man]

It's not always simple (for me) to decide if acceptance of something framed as: "I can't do anything about it anyway so let it go" is passivity, apathy or mature acknowledgement of powerlessness.

To quote a line from the movie Animal House: "My suggestion is to start drinking heavily."


Seriously, I've seen people put themselves in an early grave by constantly worrying about things that they had absolutely no control over. Does that mean you shouldn't care about those things? No, you should care. But there is a very big difference and "caring" and "worrying" about things.

When things in life start to get me down, I like to sit on the front porch of the old homeplace and just give it all up. After a bit of reflection on all the good things in life, those things that had begun to worry me just seem to have faded away.

 

[PrettySquareGal]

To quote a line from the movie Animal House: "My suggestion is to start drinking heavily."


Seriously, I've seen people put themselves in an early grave by constantly worrying about things that they had absolutely no control over. Does that mean you shouldn't care about those things? No, you should care. But there is a very big difference and "caring" and "worrying" about things.

When things in life start to get me down, I like to sit on the front porch of the old homeplace and just give it all up. After a bit of reflection on all the good things in life, those things that had begun to worry me just seem to have faded away.

I followed that suggestion and it led to dark places so I don't drink now. I'm not arguing that it's healthy to worry. But there are many things we can influence positively in small ways instead of giving up and creating our own bubble. I know you're not suggesting that.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I figure out what things are worth fighting for -- as opposed to complaining about -- and I *fight* for them. There's a lot of things that irritate me about modern culture, but frankly, most of them are just that -- irritations. Frankly, I will lose absolutely no sleep about people wearing baseball caps at the table or wearing low-cut pants that let their guts hang out. Those things are dumb, but in the long run, they're also trivial. I couldn't possibly care less what fork someone eats with, as long as they're able to eat.

But there are things that are are profoundly unjust, corrupt, and venal about modern culture -- and I will and do fight against those with every weapon at my disposal. That's how I cope.

 

[Big Man]

I figure out what things are worth fighting for -- as opposed to complaining about -- and I *fight* for them. There's a lot of things that irritate me about modern culture, but frankly, most of them are just that -- irritations. Frankly, I will lose absolutely no sleep about people wearing baseball caps at the table or wearing low-cut pants that let their guts hang out. Those things are dumb, but in the long run, they're also trivial. I couldn't possibly care less what fork someone eats with, as long as they're able to eat.

But there are things that are are profoundly unjust, corrupt, and venal about modern culture -- and I will and do fight against those with every weapon at my disposal. That's how I cope.

Dang, wish I'd said what I said that way, because that's just about the exact way I feel about things. I'm going to have to learn to articulate myself a little better.