How to not get discouraged

I guess it’s unavoidable.

I want to believe that for every problem there is a solution and that solution is immediate or at least fast-acting.

Sometimes life is just hard and it sucks and there isn’t anything that can fix it.

That doesn’t mean I don’t try. But it means when I’ve tried a bunch of stuff and I’m exhausted I can be nice to myself and remember that shit is hard and sometimes it just sucks.

Learning to sit in discomfort and that I’ll be okay is the goal. Learning that I have the strength and fortitude to sit through hard times and come out the other side just fine is huge. What I learn from that process is that I don’t have to reach for a drink or a drug to try to numb out and avoid the process. The process is unavoidable. I can either do it now sober or I can get fucked up and put that process on hold, meanwhile it’s gaining interest and festering and when I am finally confronted with the process of enduring pain it’s going to be exponentially harder.

So I guess discouragement is natural. It’s okay to admit that I’m upset. Full stop. I’m angry. Sentence over. Will I still go for a run and try to mitigate the situation. Yes, but when I get back from the run and I’m tired and life is still pissing me off. Well that’s when I am learning to just accept it. This too shall pass. Just not right away.

It’s especially made harder when I feel like the things that are pissing me off about life are completely outside of my control. And I feel that way, because they are completely outside of my control. But I think that they aren’t at first and then I have to go through this thought process to remind myself that they are indeed outside of my control. And that becomes a loop and that whole mental process is exhausting. And I’m right where I started except now I’m really tired which doesn’t help the original anger. It probably makes it worse.

So what’s the advice here?

Learn that you will be okay. No matter what. Life can suck, you will get through it. And learn to appreciate when life is good. Express gratitude for the good. Especially when life is good. It’s always moving forward, whether I’m feeling good or shitty. That last moment is already over and I’m in a new moment. Odds are I won’t even remember this feeling two weeks from now.