I am glad that I am not the only unmotivated person in the office today, as even my supervisor is feeling the effects of the week/ month/ year behind us. It seems there is something in the air, water, food... For me, my main issue is that I had my injection last night, which knocks me for a couple days after. Though, my motivation is non-existent anyway after the stroke, but what I am lacking today is the power to power through.
Living life by force is not pleasant.
Could be worse.
Which is a stupid thing to say, even if it is true, because it is always true. Better and worse is relative to a position, and no matter where the current point stands, there is the potential for either direction.
Could be worse... could be a fuckload better too!
While I do believe that we should be grateful for what we have in our lives, I sometimes feel that this position is pushed so other people can feel better in theirs. It isn't that they want to help, rather, they just don't want to have to deal with seeing it, as it brings them down too. But, if they are the ones that are experiencing difficulty, do they appreciate people saying "it could be worse", or do they want to be listened to, get a sense that someone cares that it is shit as it is, even if it could be shitter?
Avoidance.
This is the culture now. Anything that makes us feel unacceptably uncomfortable, is bad and should be avoided, or attacked. Compared to the past, we aren't overly good at dealing with discomfort now, and it has been extended into all parts of our life, where we can't even hear certain words without getting upset, as if we are mortally wounded by a short string of sounds.
Words are bad. Stress is bad. Ideas are bad. Everything is bad.
As you can read... I am bad.
I am actually not "too bad", but you know, sometimes it is good to vent a little and writing is a great way to do so, because it slows down thoughts a little, and gives space between to actually process. What I find is, that when I am in a more negative mood ("more" being relative to normal), by the time I finish writing, my brain has largely returned to the mean, found its balance again. If I just spend the time with my thoughts, it is more likely to double-down on my emotional state, like it craves the feeling.
Emotions are addictive.
And it isn't just our good emotions we want, because we also chase the negative, perhaps as it is in those states that we are more likely to be able to justify bad behavior. We can excuse it by telling ourselves "it is just a bad day, tomorrow will be different". When we have a good mood, most of us expect it to last, we don't say, "It is just a good day, tomorrow will be different". We might want to hold onto good feelings, but chasing the bad brings rewards too, like sympathy from others.
I wonder if there is a dopamine kick when we receive sympathy?
Maybe this is part of the reason so many people position themselves as victims, so that they can get that recognition, get that chemical reward from their body. It is an easier "hit" than to go through all the work of being good enough at something to get recognition and pats on the back for a job well done.
Play the victim card, feel like a winner?
Maybe it is okay from time to time to get a little sympathy, but when that is our game plan to feeling good about our lives, I don't think that is going to lead us down a path of positive growth and development. And, if in order feel good and grateful for what we have, we have to compare ourselves to conditions that are worse than ours, we are going to similarly end up walking down a path that degrades us, as there is always someone worse off.
Why not want to be better?
I think that trying to be better is a healthier path, though of course it can't be the only path. In my opinion, we should accept ourselves as we are today, including our flaws, but still look to improve ourselves for tomorrow. Learn, practice and grow ourselves into a better person with intention, rather than at the mercy of the world, pushed this way and that, rudderless and powerless. Like a snail, our daily journey might not take us far, but consistency over the course of a lifetime can.
If we don't improve, we never mature.
And if we don't reflect, we never know how far we have travelled. Spending a few minutes (or many minutes) writing each day gives space to reflect on our journey, with a closer proximity in time and space to where we have travelled. It gives a sliver of space each day to recognize our behaviors, our successes and our failures, and be grateful for what we accomplished, accept what we didn't, and make a plan for the future.
Tomorrow might be a better day, it might be a worse day, but it is another day to make a difference. And, even if we don't make much of a difference tomorrow, there is a day after, and a day after that to make an impact too. But eventually, there are no days left for any of us.
At that point, better or worse doesn't matter.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
I always vote on your content because you always share pearls of wisdom. I am amazed. Lacking motivation and all doesn't stop you from being here, posting yet again. I wonder if you have a genetic predisposition to discipline? Anyway, I am glad you can, I always benefit from your reflections and the emotional invitations you share.
I am one of those who says it could be worst, partly because in a way it does cheer me up. But I know there are times where "cheering up" is not what a person need but rather dwell in a feeling until is ready to "cheer up". I do admit I have trouble identifying these moments though. It's not a common debate. People just what to feel good all the time... and to be honest, it's hard to blame them. Sometimes it feels like if you take a break the entire world might fall on you.
Oh I wish! Quite the opposite. I have a predisposition for procrastination and pleasure-seeking - but that hasn't served me well in life.
For sure. And sometimes, having the world fall helps us realize, we live on anyway - we are often stronger than we feel at our worst.
I hope you feel better soon! Remember that you are strong and you can get through this. We are here to support you at all times. Cheer up!
The balance between positive and negative is a topic that has been discussed for a long time. In life, we face both positive and negative situations, and although we would all prefer to have only positive experiences, it is not always possible. Therefore, it is important to find a balance between the positive and the negative.
First, it is relevant to recognize that both the positive and the negative play a crucial role in our lives. Positive experiences bring us happiness, joy and satisfaction, while negative ones teach us valuable lessons and help us grow and mature. Therefore, it is necessary to accept both the positive and the negative as an integral part of life.
Secondly, it is essential to maintain a balanced perspective. We must not allow negative experiences to affect us too much and make us lose hope. Instead, we should try to find something positive in every negative situation and learn from it. In the same way, we must not allow positive experiences to make us lose our sense of reality and become overconfident. We must maintain a realistic perspective and be prepared to face any challenge that arises.
Lastly, it is important to maintain a positive attitude. Although we cannot control everything that happens in our lives, we can control how we react to situations. A positive attitude helps us face difficult situations with strength and determination, while a negative attitude only makes us feel helpless and hopeless.
I think that negative experiences have the biggest impact on us, shape us more than the positive. I reckon it is because that the lessons learned weigh more heavily, are more memorable, because of loss and pain. Good times are quickly forgotten, pain may never heal.
hope you are feeling better now :) after writing this piece. :)
I strongly believe, "Whatever happens, happens for the good". There are certain reasons behind everything ,there might be some positivity in negativity too. Though it might sounds little crazy but i have certain experiences that made me to be like this. the more i try to swim against the waves, the more i pushed back.....this really helps me living life...there are challenges though, but might be my testing pahse.
I am. Even went to the gym afterward :)
Challenges are good - they make us stronger. But, how strong do we need to be! :D
I think there has been a time or two I started writing a "rant" post and by the time I was about half way through, I realized that my rant wasn't much of a rant to begin with. Either that, or the issue just wasn't as big of a deal as I previously thought!
It brings in perspective and often for me, says -- grow up, it isn't so bad.
Everyone should write more.
For sure!
This reminds me of anime Monster. Main character and villain had a completely different look at the world. One of them believed that tomorrow is gonna be a good day. The other was a nihilist who saw nothing good about humanity.
Yin and Yang
I have always tried to live by this rule where I tell myself nothing is really that certain in life. I always tell myself I might die or not the next day. Not that I want to die but it's a way of telling myself to make a positive difference and make myself better each day than the last.
If it's a good day, Great! If it's a bad day, Great! We try again the next day and hope it is better. I learn with each passing day how I can improve and better myself physically,emotionally and psychologically.
I write down my day in my diary, so it can help me reflect about the bad and the good things I've done for the day.
I love the message passed down in this post. Quite thoughtful.
Best wishes Tarazkp.
Zeegirl 🌻.
Clouds in the sky - good and bad come and go.
Why not write a daily blog for it?
I agree with you that writing is indeed therapeutic. Hope you felt better after writing this. ❤️💡
I do, thanks!
My main issue is that I delay doing things in my life recently. I feel myself somehow busy and I don't do anything for them. Perhaps, it is due to weather which have become cold for a while.
If you need tips on how to procrastinate even better, I have skills!
I recently had an experience that showed me very clearly that so many of the trivial things that we worry about in day to day life really mean so little when you realise just how close you are (or could be) from not being here at all. It's all about perspective. Once you get a healthy dose of it, your entire universe shifts - so yes, I get it.
It is easy to let life get away from us, because we focus on stuff that is not actually that important, even though it feels it at the time. Just think how most teens are in high school - the circumstances change as we age, but do many of us act any different?
I'm very glad that I can say that I have grown up a shit ton since being a teenager. Do I act differently? Most definitely. I was a snotty little cow back then. Actually some people may still think that about me, lol.
We are often very unaware of the bigger picture because we are so heavily immersed in the minutia of the day to day.
There is this saying one has to stack on better actions and move ahead while learning from the bad outcomes and improving through that. It may not give the results immediately but it would put on a path towards consistent improvement.
Every experience we go through in life has a reason. It doesn't look like it at the beginning, but the truth is there's a good side in it that would shape our future for the better. Sure, better days will come, regardless how ugly today may look.
Evolution is a necessary step of our life as it always demand change of our being and our perspectives.
Still, unmotivation is floating here in Italy also, but we keep pushing it forward :D
Venturing into the world of blogging, an entirely new endeavor for me as I haven't maintained a journal before, has reshaped my perspective on life.
This newfound practice of expressing my thoughts has become a therapeutic outlet, fostering mindfulness and personal growth. In contrast to my previous approach of grinding through life without much introspection, blogging has offered me a space to pause, contemplate, and appreciate! 🤗
P.S. I spend hours publishing a post!
I'm a pessimist so I can relate to those that think "It could be worse". But I do agree with a lot of what you said. We should always strive to make it better. I will admit that it takes a lot of effort to do so, and maybe not have the desired results to make the effort worth it, but just resigning oneself to fate and quitting, is pretty bad. Even small changes can hopefully do some good.