What are some of the mental and physical resources that keep us going? What gives us happiness now instead of waiting for it all to happen in the next life? The answers are probably different for each one of us but common threads run through.
We all have situations that drain us, sometimes to the point we can hardly stand up, let alone walk. We have to call on our inner resources to push forward at our own pace in the face of exhaustion and frequent disgust with the world.
Maybe one year it’s a high-stress job or a change in management there. Maybe the neighbors have turned into relentless busybodies with nothing to do but spy on other people in order to invent their own “facts.”
On the other hand, the daily drain might be chronic stresses that show no sign of going away any time soon: ongoing or worsening health issues, or in-laws who think no one is good enough for their equally imperfect child. (We are all flawed in some way.) Nowadays it’s likely to be an infuriating school system where parents practically have to sit in the back of their child’s class to hear first-hand what’s going on. That might be a major embarrassment for the child, of course, so a last resort measure.
But no matter what, we generally keep going, even on days when we’re running on two or three cylinders instead of four. When we drop to one cylinder, though, that’s when we have no choice but to curl up in a corner for the weekend. Much healing takes place during sleep. This is not selfish behavior! It can be the essential difference between survival and calling it quits.
Many different things keep us going including mental motivators:
- Building spiritual strength by studying and listening to religious music keeps us focused on what our future can be instead of on the frequent pettiness of the here and now.
- Reading magazines like Coastal Living, Popular Mechanics, RV, or The New Retirement connect us to future plans.
- Worrying about our kids and grandkids and what their world will be like keeps us creating possible solutions to all of the world’s problems.
- Watching our online coach’s daily five-minute videos gives us a kick in the pants.
- Writing a weekly blog post keeps the brain muscles in good shape.
- Completing homework assignments on time is good training for both the world of work and volunteerism.
Some physical activities really boost our motivation:
- Skyping with children or grandchildren brightens many an hour in many homes.
- Caring for companion animals makes us needed.
- Volunteering somewhere good keeps us in a charitable frame of mind.
- Making time for some kind of walking or an actual outdoor sport tones the body and mind.
- Looking at our vision board and doing something about it is essential!
We cannot wish anything into existence without acting on the goal. This is the reason affirmations by themselves don’t work! Just telling ourselves something is true will not make it so. We can act like we have arrived but we still have to do what it takes to get there!
What keeps you going?
Wonderful insight Shirley
Thanks, Lori! And thanks for reading.