Taming Frustration

     Frustration: I know you as well as I do my swollen finger joints.

     I feel you when my life seems like one big "I can't do that anymore."
     When it hurts to walk.
     When I can't lift heavy stuff.
     When it's hard to use a regular mouse or even to use regular keyboard.

     When I feel my body rebelling, my mood-o-meter goes to semi-low. I can pick myself up by remembering a line from one of my favorite self- help books of all time: Coming Back, by Ann Kaiser Sterns, Ph.D., (Ballatine Books, 1989.)

      Stearns writes of real people who faced a variety of crises and learned to cope, to achieve  the best life within reach.  I love that phrase; it both acknowledges the unique limitations of someone's life, but also promotes a sense of optimistic goal setting.

     For example, this morning my knee is killing me. So, I can't briskly walk around the neighborhood for 30 minutes like I want to do.  I can do my knee exercises, work through an exercise video sitting down, plan my visit to a classroom tomorrow,  outline a freelance writing assignment and finish grocery shopping.
   In other words, I can shoot for the best life within reach - for today.