What makes you keep going?

[Gleb]

Life is on one hand beautiful, on the other hand it is not.
When I am down, I find words to cheer myself up and keep going. I recall my life purpose, and it helps me stand up again.

What is your way to make yourself stand up, and keep fighting and reaching your life - goal?
Please be honest, for some of your methods may be useful for others.

[Corvus]

Re: What makes you keep going?

People keep saying it gets better. As a nihilist I believe life is inherently meaningless so my justification for living is basically to enjoy it as long as I can. As is, I can't say I'm really enjoying it and I don't want to leave until I can.

[Maria de Luna]

Re: What makes you keep going?

To be absolutely honest, some days I have no idea what makes me keep going... I suppose that it is hope... Hope that things will get better, and frankly hope is all I have.

[monsno_leedra]

Re: What makes you keep going?

You know on different days its different things.

Some days its my three grandchildren and the fact we have custody of them. They are the movement of my life's blood into the future and I try to give them the best potential to succeed as I can. Given they were all born exceptionally and have had to struggle to do things many said they never would do inspires me in many ways. The fact they are all under ten means they rely upon me and the wife as both grand-parents and parents.

Some days its nothing more than an anger that keeps me going. A refusal to surrender to things or allow it to crush me beneath its weight. On days like that I think back to many of the scenes I witnessed while in the military and what it means to be down trodden and at the end of ones rope. For instance in the Philippines a single pipe coming out of the side of a rock face and seeing people bathing beneath it, while others washed their clothes while others gathered up the water to cook with. At any given instant we went by 20 - 30 people gathered there. That or seeing a child diving into a crap filled river to retrieve a coin that was barely worth 25 cents if lucky but that was more than he / she would make in a whole day. None of that touching upon daughter's sold into prostitution who could have been younger than 12 and a few even younger, one I saw who could not be older than 4 maybe 5 if lucky.

Other days it's more of a determination to complete something each day. It may be as simple as reading a page or pages of a book that I intentionally left unfinished for example. To take a walk or go for a drive.

[dreamweaver]

Re: What makes you keep going?

self dedication to my beliefs and the love I have for my wife and family and people in general is what keeps me going.There is so much to do and so little time I don't have time to slow down .

[Yorin]

Re: What makes you keep going?

I apologize for any feels I induce with this, but honestly what keeps me going hits kinda deep.

When I was 8 and a half years old (around June) , I was told my mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and wouldn't live to see my 9th birthday/christmas. Now, unlike a lot of people who catch cancer like that at stage 3-I got seriously lucky. I did-she ended up fighting and surviving til the October after my 11th birthday. However.....on my 8th birthday, six months before she got diagnosed, that christmas I got a very grown up card for an 8 year old.

It talked about believing in the person, and hoping that they followed their dreams, not just on their birthday, but throughout life. That they were so amazing and had so many things going for them.....

At the bottom of the note was a hand written note from my mother, telling me that she knew it was a bit grown up for me at the time, but it was how she truly felt, and that she wanted me to keep it, and when I'm older to read it often and a reminder of "who loves this baby best" (one of the things she would tell me when I was younger.

It didn't hit me til a few years ago when I read it again when I had a spell of missing her more than usual that....at that point....she knew. Before the doctors told her, before tests were taken....that she knew she wasn't going to make it much longer. I won't lie-I broke down and hugged that card and cried like a little kid. But afterwords, I read it again, and again, and took it to heart. That it really was what my mama wanted for me.

And to this day, it's kept me going. Its kept me pushing, that no matter how shitty life seems to be, that I need to keep pushing towards my dreams, and achieve my goals. It might hurt and it might royally suck, but it's also going to have the good times, the loving times, and even the meh. But no matter what, just like her, I've gotta keep fighting no matter what.

[Vigdisdotter]

Re: What makes you keep going?

Oh, lots of things, though which one really depends on the situation.

But if we're talking in general, I'd have to say "curiosity". I want to see what happens next as well as try to have my own part in it unfolding.

[Gleb]

Re: What makes you keep going?

I apologize for any feels I induce with this, but honestly what keeps me going hits kinda deep.

When I was 8 and a half years old (around June) , I was told my mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and wouldn't live to see my 9th birthday/christmas. Now, unlike a lot of people who catch cancer like that at stage 3-I got seriously lucky. I did-she ended up fighting and surviving til the October after my 11th birthday. However.....on my 8th birthday, six months before she got diagnosed, that christmas I got a very grown up card for an 8 year old.

It talked about believing in the person, and hoping that they followed their dreams, not just on their birthday, but throughout life. That they were so amazing and had so many things going for them.....

At the bottom of the note was a hand written note from my mother, telling me that she knew it was a bit grown up for me at the time, but it was how she truly felt, and that she wanted me to keep it, and when I'm older to read it often and a reminder of "who loves this baby best" (one of the things she would tell me when I was younger.

It didn't hit me til a few years ago when I read it again when I had a spell of missing her more than usual that....at that point....she knew. Before the doctors told her, before tests were taken....that she knew she wasn't going to make it much longer. I won't lie-I broke down and hugged that card and cried like a little kid. But afterwords, I read it again, and again, and took it to heart. That it really was what my mama wanted for me.

And to this day, it's kept me going. Its kept me pushing, that no matter how shitty life seems to be, that I need to keep pushing towards my dreams, and achieve my goals. It might hurt and it might royally suck, but it's also going to have the good times, the loving times, and even the meh. But no matter what, just like her, I've gotta keep fighting no matter what.

I am sorry about your mum, Yorin.
You are a strong person. Best of luck!

[B. de Corbin]

Re: What makes you keep going?

My wife, my kids, my reluctance to sit & rot...

[nbdy]

Re: What makes you keep going?

My inability to stop.

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: What makes you keep going?

Sheer bloody mindedness. Yes, a big part of my motivation is love, too. But the biggest part is probably bloody mindedness. I just won't go down. And if I do, then I'll crawl until I can get back up again.

[Hawkfeathers]

Re: What makes you keep going?

Stubbornness and a flat-out refusal to "go gentle into that good night".

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: What makes you keep going?

Stubbornness and a flat-out refusal to "go gentle into that good night".

Ah Dylan Thomas...

[thalassa]

Re: What makes you keep going?

Because my life is pretty darn good. I have two beautiful children, a husband that loves me, a roof over my head, food on the table, moderately good health, and so many, many, many things to learn and do and see still. There are so damn many people out there worse off than I am that still manage to keep going (and historically, people that have experienced worse and managed to survive), IMO, it would be an insult to their efforts (or to their memory) to give up.

[InspiringRaine]

Re: What makes you keep going?

Stubbornness, pretty much. And the ability to pick my battles. I am a pretty passive person, in general, but I never ever give up on a bad situation or make that situation worse with my actions.