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What Kept You Going?

Hermit Philosopher

Selflessly here for you
If your life was at its peak of difficulty at some point in the past, what purpose, belief, or motivation kept you pushing through?
Sometimes, what makes us get through the absolute darkest, hardest moments in life, is that the alternative is to go under.
And had we in fact gone under, we’d not be here to talk about it.

“Getting through” can require vastly different things depending on the nature of one’s predicament. Sometimes it will require action; others, the exact opposite. But regardless of circumstances, it will always require courage.

Humbly,
Hermit
 

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
The first time - that one time when I had clinical depression and felt suicidal for the first time - my parents, getting proper treatment, and being an insufferable nerd for whom nothing could kill the fire that was the love of learning (I was in college at the time).

The second time - that one time where some of the assumptions I had about the world worked came crashing down in a very bad way - supplemental nutrition assistance (aka, food stamps), my parents, my religion, and stupid aspirations.

The third time - that one time my best friend on the whole world (my mom) died - my religion, grief counseling, and having a stable job with an awesome work environment with supportive coworkers.
 

Left Coast

This Is Water
Staff member
Premium Member
I find it to be a significantly complex subject. I believe it is crucial to do one's best to grow and learn under all circumstances, which we seem to agree on. However, I'm also wary of telling or implying to anyone who is, say, a survivor of abuse or a violent crime that their suffering was anything positive. I'm not saying that this is your position here, to be clear; these are just my general thoughts and a part of why I view suffering as a fact of life rather than something to which I must attach a label.

It's a delicate issue, to be sure, especially when the suffering is profound and not the person's own fault. The point isn't to say that the suffering itself is or was inherently positive. It is to say: okay, this suffering happened. Now what? What do I do with the pain or loss I feel? How can I use this suffering to accomplish something constructive or healing in my life or other people's lives? Can I make something new and beautiful out of the broken pieces I'm left with?

Those aren't questions to push on people who aren't ready. Grieving by simply sitting in one's pain and loss and feeling its weight is a healthy and good thing. But when people are emotionally ready, those kinds of questions can be helpful ways to enable them to process and change their lives for the better. And thankfully, we have a few thousand years of our elders' experiences to learn from.
 

JustGeorge

Imperfect
Staff member
Premium Member
The suspense from waiting to see who will post what next...

No, I'm not actually being sarcastic. Sometimes the miniscule things keep me going from one moment to the next.

Will @SalixIncendium choose the paisley speedo or the argyle one?

What rude joke will be cracked in the 'winner' thread?

What creative profanity will @Shadow Wolf weave into her next sentence?

When the big, meaningful questions are too much, I focus on the tiny, trivial things.
 

Mock Turtle

Oh my, did I say that!
Premium Member
If your life was at its peak of difficulty at some point in the past, what purpose, belief, or motivation kept you pushing through?
I think much of my perseverance has come from physical things (many different outdoor activities), and building up over time so as to achieve any goals set. This then has aided other things that required some perseverance too. So usually contributing to any self-confidence in my abilities to perform. Choosing those things which are attainable obviously helps, and through so many of these experiences knowing that any pain is usually just one aspect and will be gone when whatever is completed or becomes the past.

Of course I generally had the knowledge as to setting out on any adventure knowing that I had to have sufficient energy and abilities to return safely - as to mountaineering and caving, for example, where getting to one's aim was only half the battle - besides overcoming any fears doing such things - since I was never fearless. My worst fears were probably as to rock-climbing, given I didn't attain a high standard in such and probably due to my not doing any deliberate training at all and viewing such as just an enjoyable pastime, but I still felt the most uncomfortable doing such.

But placing one's life on the line undoubtedly does contribute to growth, given that there is probably not much more one can do to test oneself. I suspect that much of my character as to being resilient has come from that mentioned.
 
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Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
If your life was at its peak of difficulty at some point in the past, what purpose, belief, or motivation kept you pushing through?
If nothing else, I refuse to be a statistic conservative, Evangelical Christians can use in a bad way, liie not letting them have the suicide, giving up or whatever of a trans, ex-Christian to twist into something for their own nefarious ends.
That's when I'm at my absolute worst.
 

Comi

New Member
If your life was at its peak of difficulty at some point in the past, what purpose, belief, or motivation kept you pushing through?
I had bad past but I know nothing can done about it even if I try to change. I have to proof myself that I am not same as before I have look back at past in order change myself. I hope to become better person. What motivate me is my past and future. Looking at past I have became something I want to be looking at the future I have goal to reach and I can’t give up easily. if don’t have goal I will try to find my inner peace and help other in order make myself happy
 
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