Feeling Good About Yourself

I've recently had some time to ponder this issue. I'm facing a mid-life crisis and had a pretty tough time of things of late - but no violins please! I found myself doing the same old things day after day, doing things for other people, ignoring my own needs. Then all of a sudden I said #### it, I'm going to grab my life back, I can't live the next 30 years (if I'm lucky), like this. So now I'm doing stuff.

• Going to rock gigs.
• Getting a tattoo (Happygeek will be pleased!).
• Going to the gym.
• Going to the pub more often.
• Going on road trips.

I'm already doing some of these - still waiting on the tattoo. None of them is a goal to be ticked off - other than the tattoo maybe(!) - and then be forgotten about. I took the laptop apart yesterday - every single screw. I managed to put it back together and other than having to re-seat the RAM due to a black screen of death, which frightened the hell out of me - it was all good. Even better was the fact that I didn't have a clue what I was doing.

Small things, big effect. :)

Any of you got some stuff you like to do or would like to do - just for you?

[ddanbe]

After my midlife, I still do the things you like to do. Except for the tattoo. The last 20 years I have seen and will be seeing a lot of needles. Never mind, you get used to it.
What I still like to do(don't know if I will succeed...) is to find out why it is that Einstein finally said: "and after this last equation we can say that E = mc^2". For the moment I'm studying among other math thingies vector and tensor analysis...

Feeling good about yourself is often the hardest things to pull off.

So often we depend on others to support our 'feel good factors' or life experiences to guage how successful we are.

I've often looked on other peoples' lives with an air of jealously. Muttering to myself, 'Crap that person has got it all.'

Truth is, if you look deeper, behind the scenes everyone has got their problems. People who seem to lead fantastic lives hide deeper insecurities and issues. It is only through time that I've gotten to realise this.

I'm NOT going to preach because YOU have tonnes of more life experience than I could even hope to imagine...

I'm assuming this stems from the loss of your wife under tragic circumstances - I can't even begin to imagine the loss you must have felt. Cliched as it is you have to remember the 'good times' you shared, the children you've brought into the world and what it means to them to remain the 'rock' in their lives and continue to provide the support to them both physically and emotionally.

'Happiness' is an illusion. Just like depression it exists only as a construct in one's own mind. Keep doing what you're doing. You sound like an awesome guy anyway.

I believe in 'karma' to some extent. It may sound like mumbo jumbo to you, but if you keep doing the good stuff it eventually comes round full circle. If you concentrate on 'hate' and feelings of 'injustice' which you have the right to feel it ends up consuming you.

I've seen people miss out on other great opportunites because of this... Don't let yourself be that person.

PS. I've got two tattoos BTW haha, they can become quite addictive!

I've seen people miss out on other great opportunites because of this... Don't let yourself be that person.

Nah, positive outlook - that's me. I'm just interested in what other people do to feel good about themselves. We all do the selfless things and enjoy the nice cosy feeling those give you (like contributing to DW!), but what do you do 'for you'?

[happygeek]

Good for you, on all counts!

As for the tattoo, may I suggest the England rugby union badge?

As for the tattoo, may I suggest the England rugby union badge?

Not even if I was the drunkest man and still drinking in Drunkville, thinking about a vodka IV. :) Such a delicate flower wouldn't last 5 seconds on my leathered hide.

I was thinking more along the lines of something really simple - a Celtic arm band - well just to start off - maybe I'll progress to a full chest piece and a DeNiro-type back in Cape Fear. I saw something similar on Gareth Thomas' back one day in the pool. But there again, he had the body for it. :(

My weight is yo-yo-ing at the mo, between 15-18 stone, would you believe, so I'll have have one where my body shape won't make it look like a hula dancer has taken over the ink.

OK, I'm off to the gym now. The pic has had the right effect. :)

[blackmiau]

What I do to feel good with myself?

Planning my next tattoo (11 so far)
Read a book I haven't read yet.
Go out on a drive with very loud music, while hunting for spots to photograph.
Chase biker groups just to photograph their bikes.
Help someone pump gas/carry groceries/cross the road.
Sit on the roadside trying to lure in a stray cat/dog and take it to the shelter.
Help in said shelter.
And usually be all-around silly just to make my friends smile and forget their worries for a little bit.

Does it answer your question?

Spot on blackmail. What do you mean chase bikers? I have visions of Clint Eastwood chasing the Black Widows with a stick!

[blackmiau]

It's blackmiau, as in "meow" :P

What do I mean with "chase bikers"... Well, I'm a bit of a biker chick, so it's normal to me to get a crooked neck everytime I hear one or more pass by. If I have my camera with me and I'm close to my car, I'll jump in and go after them. This is a bit of a tourist area, so they always end up stopping somewhere and I have no problems in asking if I can take a few pictures.

Did it last month with a Harley event with over 200 Harleys. Watched the "caravan" pass, then "chased" them :)

So your vision of Clint Eastwood resumes to a little girl in a big car chasing brutes, hihihi

It's blackmiau, as in "meow" :P

Gah! Autocorrect on iPad - apologies.

So your vision of Clint Eastwood resumes to a little girl in a big car chasing brutes, hihihi

Heh heh.

[happygeek]

Only 11 tats blackmiau? A mere ink beginner then :)

You could probably add a 0 and then treble it here. Actually, I have no idea how many I have, only how little blank skin is left. The last two pieces of ink I got were on the back of my head and my throat, which kind of sums the space problem up...

[blackmiau]

Yes, only 11. Still plenty of canvas to go. I'll be one of those covered in ink old ladies, kicking youngsters' butt! Bahahahaha

[almostbob]

No ink, 0, ziip nada
had one,
service number and blood type
bullet took out half, skin grafts took out the rest
can't get one now, would have to stop being platelet donor for 12 months.
ex-service so the serum contains clotting factors platelets and antibodies for just about everything imunnisable
I have met some of the recipients, leukemia diagnosed 11 months old.

Thats my, makes me feel good for others, thing, I feel so indebted that others donated for my life, I have a lot to make up

when I am too old to donate blood will probably have to get my social and blood type on one end, and 'when I fall down put me in a taxi and send me home' on the other

what I do for my self, single malt, sipping whisky

[ChrisHunter]

I went through a similar patch just before the new year @diafol. I decided it worth regretting not having done the things I wanted to.

I went out and bought myself the motorbike I'd wanted since I was a nipper and had been putting off for years. I'm planning to learn how to surf this summer too and looking into possibly working in New Zealand for at least 12 months.

As for tattoos, I've always wanted one and I had vouchers to get one, but I couldn't decide what I wanted to get and didn't just want a tattoo for the sake of getting a tattoos. I'll get one eventually, possibly on my side or back.

[happygeek]

I've just bought a camper van to satisfy the hippy in me.

I've just bought a camper van

A VW-type thing I hope - not one of those huge American mobile home thingies. Got a pic?

OK - booked in to get my tat on Tuesday! This guy called Jay is going to do it - reminds me of Mickey Rourke in the Expendables - American accent and loads of expletives. "It's going to be f###### awesome", he said. Can't wait. :)

[blackmiau]

Woo-hoo, welcome to the club!

And a camper van is the way to go :)

[happygeek]

Nice one Alan, you will have to post a pic once it is done. Unless it is on your arse. We don't want to see that ;)

As for the van, not a VW. Not a huge American jobby either. I'm picking up my Mazda Bongo (Japanese import) on Thursday. It's unconverted at the moment, so will be a project for me. Looking to add a rear conversion and turn it into a dayvan/weekender. Currently has 8 seats which fold flat to make a bed, which will be good enough for the time being. It's small, officially classified as a MPV rather than a van, about the size of a VW camper I guess. I'm naming it Jean-Claude, because it's one heck of a Damme Van.

'm naming it Jean-Claude, because it's one heck of a Damme Van

heh heh. How about a Scooby Doo look? The Mystery Machine? :)

unless it is on your ####. We don't want to see that ;)

Don't be bashful. I'm waiting to have a Prince Albert fitted.

//That made me feel a bit sick. Urgh.

[blackmiau]

That's a nice looking van, Geek. What's your first destination?

Diafol, you can always do what a friend of mine did. He took two shot of whiskey and made a Prince Albert on himself.

As for me, I'm going hunting. Photo hunting.

Is there a photo thread here?

[Mya:)]

Icecream, Chocolate, Pizza, Burgers, Coke, Custard and ofcourse milkshakes. :)

Diafol, you can always do what a friend of mine did. He took two shot of whiskey and made a Prince Albert on himself.

Erk, I just threw up a little in my mouth...

Is there a photo thread here?

Haven't seen one - start one?

Custard pizza sounds interesting.

[blackmiau]

Sorry, Diafol... Didn't mean to get you sick. This friend of mine is a piercer/tattoo artist and completely insane in the true meaning of the word.

As for the photo thread, I'm the new kid here, I don't want to incur in the wrath of the local elders by creating it without their approval.

-maybe I should write my book after all-

[<M/>]

Get a tattoo just likek the rock, not the small little bull one on his right arm... the big one on his left arm. But you may need to pick a bit of muscle lol

But you may need to pick a bit of muscle lol

Muscle's OK - just need to lose the layers of everything else on top of it!

As for the photo thread, I'm the new kid here, I don't want to incur in the wrath of the local elders by creating it without their approval.

This is the community center (centre!). Create a thread and bring joy to others :) If Dani didn't want us to post photos, we wouldn't have the upload function. Can't see anything wrong with a photos thread. :)

[blackmiau]

Done. Plus, following the thread, photography makes me feel good. I'm not a pro, I just like to photograph stuff.

Got my tat done - 2.5 hours! He had to nip out and get a copy from the stationers because he didn't have a printer big enough - that should have sounded the warning bells. You bunch of ######## - you didn't tell me it hurt! The pain on the inside of the arm was delectable :(
Anyhow, I'll post a pic once I've had a sit down with a cup of tea and cleaned it up.

OK, soothing cream later...

[blackmiau]

You could have asked us :P

Not bad for a first tattoo, people usually go smaller. Good choice of design :)

The inside of the bicep usually hurts like hell. Don't scratch when the itching starts and, specially, DON'T PICK THE SCABS!