It's the question I ask myself every morning, not because I want to but because I have to. There is a constant for me with chronic pain and it's not just because it's chronic. That's a given. The constant is the increasing intensity of the discomfort. And that affects how my mind functions on any day.
I wonder if there are others like me who, when life gets to be too painful and too hard, tend to fold in on themselves and just withdraw from part or most of the day. And I recognise this worries my dear wife a great deal. I recall making stirring promises to myself when my condition was a lot less severe. How I'd 'press on or push through or carry on regardless'. Lofty notions that lost their gloss when the day's reality crashed into them.
It has taken a long time for me to accept these high ideals are in many instances just that-ideals. And on many days...unattainable but not failures. In fact what is a failure is not recognising that grasping the ideal for the day is not the most important nor the most wise thing that day. Accepting the shortfall...is.
I think taking a 'success/failure' ideal approach to each day is like digging an emotional deep pit with sharp spikes at the bottom, into which I will fall sooner or later. And deep down-I've always known that. So what follows is my little recipe for my physical and emotional well-being.
I will try to do the best I can on the day with what I've got.
I used to think I ought to repeat this little ditty to myself on 1st January every year. A grand ideal. At least once a day now is more like it. This helps me avoid a lot of headaches.