Life has rained down a lot of crap on me in the last few months, and now, despite living in sunny Hawaii, life seems like nothing but grey skies and rainy days. Now I remember, some time in the distant past, the days I would wake up glad to be alive and ready to face the day, but such a state of mind is currently beyond my ken.
So remind me, what are the little things - or, heck, the big things - that make life worth living, again?
What better reason than to live for the moment? There are 3 days in your life yesterday, today, and tomorrow. You’ll never get yesterday back so don’t worry about it. Tomorrow will never really be here so it isn’t worth worrying about it either. All you can do is live for today.
Treat yourself to some really good ice cream (if you like ice cream) - and calories be damned. Anything that gratifies the senses directly usually works well - good food, a hot bath, your favorite music.
One of the most relaxing and invogorating things I’ve found in Hawaii is to go down to Foster gardens and to fall asleep under the tree near the statue of Buddha in the Daibutsu terrace. Bring a blanket and some food. ALthough I guess any shady and grassy spot will do. When you wake up you feel like you’ve come out of a really deep sleep.
Or I’ll get hit by lightning! :eek:
Don’t mind me, I have my mood swings. (Can you say bipolarism, boys and girls?) 
Here is a site that always cheers me up.
And here is a link to some affirmations by Louise Hay, and another link of hers.
I don’t have the same beliefs she has, (looks like a lot of New Age and even astrology stuff) but she always cheers me up, and sometimes helps me out of a deep depression. It is pretty much all about loving yourself. I think that is always a good idea, no matter what your spiritual beliefs.
Don’t know if it works for you, but you could go hang out with a toddler. Man, the joy a well rested and fed toddler can have about anything, just is a pleasure to observe. No pretensions, the little boogers are just happy and it rubs off.
Even if you don’t like kids. Watch a little one that has just learned how to walk and is testing out their legs. They giggle like maniacs and fall over 'cause they are laughing so hard at being able to do something most of us take for granted. If that doesn’t give you a ray of sunshine, then I don’t know what else to tell you.
Beyond being careful about medication, exercise and sleep patterns, I find that doing something for someone else chases away the funk faster than anything. From the very begining of your day be looking for the opportunity to serve or be kind to someone. Share that ice cream (or other indulgence of your choice) with a child who otherwise wouldn’t have it. Choose something you enjoy but that benefits someone other than yourself. I don’t mean to write a check either, invest some of yourself.
When I tuck in my son, I ask him three things: What was the best thing about today? What was the worst thing about today? What are you looking forward to? The answers aren’t always well thought out or seemly important stuff. What is does to is provide some perspective and sometimes closure and reminds him that even when it’s hard to think of something that you’re looking forward to, there’s always something out there in the future to anticipate. Maybe such a review of your day and focus on looking forward right before you sleep would help you feel ready to face the day when you awaken?
In the words of comedian Ron Shock:
“Get drunk. Get high. F*ck a stranger. Eat a Twinkie.”
Well, it shook me outta my funk anyway. Basically, you
need to remember why you’re alive. It’s because being dead
sucks. Getting close to that edge can sometimes remind you of that fact in ways that nothing else can.
Once you’re out of the doldroms, start assessing your
life. Is there anything good in your life? If so, celebrate it. If not, find something good and make it part of your
life. (A lot easier said than done, I know…)
-Ben
C’mere and give daddy a little sugar - I’ll make it all better… 
[sub]Kidding! Kidding! Woo, what a kidder I am! But hey, it’s something to live for - somebody out there finds you cute n’ cuddly! <hee hee>[/sub]
Esprix
I got milk chocoltae M&Ms right here, and I HEAR they have caramal M&Ms now in RED packages. One tiny little sweet moment in life—M&Ms.
If you think you’re up to a long commitment, then get a dog.
Gee, I would give anything for a dog. Unfortunately, I live in an apartment (don’t have room). I’m also going back to school in a few months and there’s no way I can devote any quality time to a dog with school and a part-time job.
Hey! I know you have one of those.
In all seriousness…
Having something to look forward to every day helps. It can be anything, from that day’s baseball game on TV to the last waffle ice cream bar in the freezer, as long as it gets you up and out of bed in the morning.
In time, you stop getting up in the morning just to enjoy that one thing. You start getting up because you have another day to live, a day you want to live. You don’t need incentives anymore.
But it takes time to reach that point. I think you need to give yourself that time.
Hang in there, love. If you need anything, anything at all, just ask.
I know where you’re coming from. When life gets icky, it’s sometimes hard to remember how beautiful the “now” can be. I’m trying to teach myself this: “now” is all I have. I don’t have tomororw or next year, I don’t even have the next day. Just now. I’m trying to focus on the good things of now.
<shew!> It’s harder than it sounds.
Write down a few things that you really enjoy doing and then go out and do them.
Hope things get better soon.
I’ll agree with all the commets but China Guy’s hit home best with me so far. Watching an innocent kid and how the accept life’s handouts is such a joy.
I had my little girl, 9 1/2 months, in the yard with me yesterday as I did some trimming. I looked over once and she was happy as a clam eating dirt, even offered me some. Looked over again and she was standing. For the first time. Aaaaaagh… I’m butter.
Two things that should help when you get down;
From David Byrne’s “Cowboy Mambo”…
The green grass grows around the backyard shithouse,
and that is where the sweetest flowers bloom.
Now we are flowers growin’ in God’s garden,
and that is why he spreads the shit around.
This illustrates why, in a preverse kind of way, I think that bad can be good.
Another way to look at it is to take stock of what you have that other people don’t. I don’t know anything about you, but it may be safe to compare the opportunity and comfort you have to oh, say the typical person living in Bangladesh. You may come away feeling very fortunate.
Sorry, I missed this post originally.
You wanna know what makes it worth going on?
You really wanna know?
OK I’ll tell you,
You know I do. Wanna taste my cream filling?
Hmmmm, are you sure that isn’t a Little Debbie?