I made it through 100% of all the bad days, weeks and months in my life so far. I will also make it through the ones that have yet to come.
…and on my more cynical days, this follow-up:
And if, one day, I won’t survive a bad day, then it is not my f[%$]ng problem anymore.
I tried to have a more positive mantra, but eventually realized that sheer spite can be a powerful motivator in bad times, even more so than trying to stay “nice” to the rest of the world.
Anger is a really powerful motivator. I spent years of my life trying to shut down my anger from childhood. I had such a violent temper up to my mid-20s. Now I’m 40 and in a complete “dead-zone”. No motivation, no drive.
I’ve found I get most motivated when one of two things happen - I forget to take my anti-depressant for the day or I try to quit vaping. Both these things cause me to get irritable and both cause me to shift and do something.
P.S. Meth also motivates me but that’s not a long-term strategy worth pursuing as I’m trying to remain sober.
I don’t have the vocabulary for a good mantra like most of you. But a shoulder shrug and a “what are you gonna do about it” kind of noise is enough for me.
Living in the “self esteem” part of Maslow’s pirimid when you are battling basic needs aka allergies, sleep, dehydration, dimentia, etc is a good way to be depressed. Focus on preservation of assets and restoring basic functions.
But not in a super depressivt way, just when I’m super bored or waiting for something or in a tight spot working on an issue I just kinda zone out and imagine myself looking back on this while relaxing.
Seems a little weird to make your life mantra a meme phrase anyways.
Mine is the motto from my high school lacrosse team, of all things. I was 15, an angsty teenager, the team sucked and lost most our games. But our coach was relentlessly positive. The motto was a Latin phrase that roughly translates to “if you’re going to do something, commit to it”. Basically, no half ass efforts. That stuck with me all the way through until 11 years later when I had it incorporated into a tattoo design.
Whatever intrinsic motivation you pick, it’s gotta have a little more meaning to you than being the flavor of the month on the internet, or it will always lose its magic.
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