ENCOURAGEMENT INSPIRATION MOTIVATION

[Doolhof]

Hi All, 

It is not always easy to feel motivated or inspired to do anything when you are feeling deeply depressed or when suffering from some other mental health issues.

I'd like people to use this thread to share ideas/thoughts/quotes/poems on how you manage to motivate, inspire and encourage yourself to do things when it all feels just too hard to even try.

Who of you remember that song/story about the little train that kept saying "I think I can! I think I can!" as it climbed up a steep hill? Sometimes I need to tell myself the same thing: "I think I can!" If I start thinking "there is no way I can do that, then I won't even attempt to make an effort.

Hopefully others will post ideas and thoughts here that may be very beneficial to others.

Cheers all from Dools

[Agnetha]

Doolhof

your post is nice so I am thinking you are nice lady too, thank you

[Kazzl]

Great thread Mrs Dools! I'm inspired just reading it.

I want to comment on something Geoff said| 'it's a game we play against ourselves'. Geoff my friend you have absolutely nailed it for me. It took me a very long time to realise that I often sabotage myself. Or, should I say, that depression (and previously drinking) sabotage me if I allow them to. They make me avoid important things in life, or they create unrealistic expectations, or constant self-doubt. Thank you for putting it so well.

Love this thread!

Kaz

[Doolhof]

Hi Agnetha,

Thanks for your kind comment.

Everyone,

We all have the opportunity to be ourselves here, to encourage each other, share how we are feeling honestly and to think of ways that we can help each other.

Have any of you watched "The Voice?" I really like that show as the contestants get to be on stage without the judges/mentors having any idea what they look like. They are there, doing the best they can, having a go.

All of us here are the same. It does not matter if we are one of the top 10 most beautiful people in the world, we are here because we care, because we need help, or this space fits in well with where we are at right now.

MOTIVATION... don't wait until the perfect moment to try something new, try it now!

[Doolhof]

I've been looking up some little nuggets of inspiration for this thread.

I will share some of them with you all now.

One I really liked was "Be a doer and not a stewer". That makes so much sense to me. How many times do I think this or that is going to go wrong so why even bother to try to do it in the first place. Why think about what might go wrong or about what has gone wrong in the past!

It is worth starting something and see how far I can get with that. Maybe stuff has not worked out in the past, I can learn from those mistakes or disappointments and just consider them as opportunities to learn!

An example: My parent's were coming to visit. I baked them a cake. The darn thing didn't come out of the cake tin in one piece, so I served it up with jam and custard instead and my Dad loved it! It didn't work out as a cake so I re-invented it!

Instead of concentrating on the cake being a failure, I decided to do something about it.

Worrying and stewing over something makes me feel so drained! Next time I will try to think of this saying!

[Elizabeth CP]

I used to feel pressured when anyone asked me to do something and usually said yes but resented it & felt bad for not being assertive or I would say no and then felt guilty. After discussion with my psych I changed my approach. Rather than giving an answer immediately I allowed myself time to think   & asked the question which answer is consistent with my values and why. I didn't allow it to become a long process. Once my decision was made whenever I started questioning myself I reminded myself why I had chosen to do the task or not. This helped quieten the negative chatter in my head and encouraged me to keep going if I had agreed to something which was difficult or inconvenient. Feeling in control of my choices really helped.

[Doolhof]

Hi Elizabeth,

Thanks for sharing this. Yes, it can be very powerful, comforting and self caring to be able to say yes or no, and if it is no, then to be able to stick to that decision and not be made to feel guilty for your choice.

On GUILT, I have heard it said that no one can make you feel GUILTY as it is a feeling that is inside of you and your reaction to what has been said or done!

Cheers from Dools

[Doolhof]

Hi All,

I saw this gem on FACEBOOK. I couldn't work out the source of the message as I couldn't read the small print.

Dear Universe,

I am totally open to some awesomeness coming my way!

I am sure a lot of us could add peace, comfort and healing to that!

Cheers all from Dools

[Agnetha]

If at first you don't succeed, have a short rest then try again, then if you don't succeed a second time, have a longer rest, then try again, if you don't succeed a third time, better to have a rethink "am I doing this right?". There is more than one way to skin a rabbit.

[Elizabeth CP]

Great advice Agnatha. On a similar note I heard a discussion on resilience. When faced with adversity we need to do our best to cope with it. If we succeed great but if we fail we need to lick our wounds & then get back up & try again. We need to be prepared to risk failure & learn to be kind to ourselves when we fail so we don't remain stuck.

[Elizabeth CP]

My 5 yr old grandson arrived home with a large scab on his forehead after being knocked over " school. He admitted the boys didn't mean to hurt him. My daughter advised him to politely ask them not to push him any more because 'he doesn't like it'. There is a lesson for us in this. When we are hurt by something someone says & does by assuming they didn't  mean to hurt us takes away the emotional sting which occurs when we assume the person wanted to hurt us. Being politely assertive in asking the person to change & explaining how it hurt us allows them to change so our needs are met. Obviously serious attacks & repeat offences are a different situation.