Go Ahead and Give Up...Just for Today

If you’ve read any of my previous articles, you know that I am usually trying to purvey some sort of wisdom to ease us along the never ending precipice that is IBS. I have, at times, shared my struggles and pain with IBS with the hopes that the people who are reading will not feel so alone. I know that I feel alone, quite often, suffering with IBS. I also know that I hate it (IBS) so much, that I simply cannot lay down and die. While sitting on the…er…can, the other day, for what seemed like a long time, I was actually trying to meditate, to keep the pain away a bit. While this is not a TERRIBLE idea, I started to laugh a little at my overzealousness and then…I started to cry. So, there I was, sitting zen on the toilet…crying. There’s an image for ya… What I’d like to say today is that it is alright to give up…for a little while.

A war & not a single battle

I believe that there are days for action, days for retreat and days for doing…nothing. By paying attention to your body and mind, you can decide which type of day you are having. The important thing is to remember that your Army of One will not always be crushing the IBS enemy into oblivion every single day. While I have used the analogy that IBS is not a sprint, but a marathon many times, my metaphor for this article is that IBS is a WAR and not a single battle. So, so many battles… There is the Battle of the Body, the Battle of the Mind, the Battle of the Pocketbook, and the Battle of the Workplace,..and this is just the beginning. Each of the major aspects of IBS that we tend to on any given day has several parts to it. It’s a lot of work. With all that said you may be making progress for weeks or months at a time only to realize that what was working for you, is not anymore. You have lost a battle, but not the WAR. It is during these times that the wise choice is to retreat and rethink your battle plan. Take a step back and realize that you may need to change many things or just one thing to start the attack again. Frustrating yes; necessary yes.

Attack or retreat?

The point here is that you cannot be in attack or retreat at all times. I’m paraphrasing but there is a quote that suggests that War is long periods of boredom, interrupted by very short periods of terror. Down time is nothing new to War. All Wars have down time. Why should you deprive yourself of a weekend furlough during your War? Use your periods of quiet however you like. Much of the time, the things we think we should be doing are based on the expectations of those around us. Do what is best for you on that day. If it is truly and literally NOTHING…so be it. It is your life and your struggle. So General, what are your orders for the day?