Facing Tough Times

I guess my expectations are less than they once were but I am happy with my life. I think it is important to at least try to be happy with your lot whatever it is.

I always feel good for each small step I accomplish.

Everyone faces tough times and it is a good thing when you can learn from things and move on.

Yes we all have disappointment in life, but for us, we set a goal when we got married in 1998 - a goal to move to TN by 2001. We didn't retire officially in 2001 since we were only in our 50's, but we wanted to enjoy life before we got too old. It's been 16 years and we have had a few inconveniences, but overall we are where we wanted to be in life.

We can all learn from our experiences, whether they are successful or not. Then we can move on.

I always do my best, but I also multitask. I'm doing it now.

True, some goals are just not worth. I think for some people, having a routine and peaceful life is really a goal in itself, and there is no point in having goals that waste time and effort.

TO me, it depends on where I fail or disappoint. Professionally, when I was a teacher, failing my students would have mattered. Thankfully, it never happened. When I became a software developer (and also website developer), here were times when I was disappointed as I failed to deliver (initially when I was new in the field) - but never felt the end of world. I did realize I was new, and I had a lot to learn. Personally, for sure, there were disappointments and failures. I regret one - I could have forced my late grandpa to the hospital when there was time, but it just wasnt possible, he would not listen. But still I could have forced him. This would live with me and there is no way I can move on beyond it. Then there was those 8 months of being 100% bed ridden. And that was a big disappointment - almost every day of it. AS I started recovering, I did try to find peace with my health issues and being unemployed (as in without a normal regular office job). Disappointments and failures are bound to happen. In my view, what is more important is the fact that what you learn from it, how you plan your recovery and how you survive after that phase. have known people who go almost insane, lose all interest in life once they are confined to home. But I am not a loser who gives up easily... specially after I survived those 8 months. I started living better, living in smaller moments and taking smaller steps, one at a time. One must always believe in their capabilities - what he can do. In today's world, there are too many options, it is only about finding the ones that you are capable of.

Thankfully I am now retired and I can look back and say that I am satisfied with my life. I love my husband, have wonderful children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and friends. Life is never without some pain and disappointment but it is better to just enjoy the good.

I just try to take things one day at a time and be appreciative of everything.

My work life required multi-tasking daily and I do not miss it at all. The idea of "built-in defenses" as you put it is a good way to live a sane life.

I've set both reachable goals and those I thought impossible. Where there's a will, there's a way. I'm very satisfied with how my life turned out, even though I've had a few disappointments along the way.

I often have trouble learning from these tough times, and then moving on past them strengthened by what has happened to me. Instead I often mire myself in myself, by my not knowing how to move on, and waiting instead for change to arrive by itself. A couple of incidents, set years apart though, nearly destroyed my life for me, once, and the pieces are still strewn around, not together again yet either. I suspect that life itself is progressively responding to us not us to it, and when we realise this, we will do what we need to do, and then life will follow us instead of us trying to catch up to it. We often chase life away by chasing after it, when it is not really ever in front of us at all, but behind us, inside of us, with us as us. Only our thoughts separate us from life and these are based mostly on the attitude created from these events, but your underlying personality, your real person-ability shines through your attitude when it is allowed to do so, I think.

I have had things happen to me in my life and still happen and I do not think it will ever end but eventually it does and I want to just sleep forever after that because I am so exhausted and worn out.