What inspires you (or gives you a kick in the pants) to get up every morning and do the things you know you've got to do? Is it because of a person in your life? Is it because of a person who is not in your life but whom you admire greatly, like a public figure? Is it something else?

And, if you ever felt a need to change your life, what was it that drove/inspired you to do so? Fear? Determination? Love?

-- Nephele

One thing that keeps me going is knowing that I can have a bad attitude about things if I want to. I groan, complain to myself and jump into doing what I need to.

My imagination also keeps me sane, if distracted. Going through stressful changes I find it helps to make up stories at the same time.

I guess I've always taken the attitude, "The sun will always rise, time will always pass, and life will always continue moving forward... I might as well get going too..."

In a sense I suppose I feel that I have a fairly simple choice in life, keep up or sleep it away. If I want the 'nice things' I've got and the freedom that having a bit of extra cash provides, I need to keep up with the world as it turns. Day in - Day out.

I have several friends who look at life and the world the same way, who can't be bothered, their life isn't 'bad' and they make do with what they have, but like me I suppose their not ecstatic about life and the future. It just "IS". I've simply got more 'stuff' then they do, because I go to work in the morning and they don't...

We know life could get worse and we do what we need to, to make sure that doesn't happen, but in the end this whole thing is just a few dozen trips around the sun and time reduces everything about a person to insignificance. All we've got is the choice to live as best we can for us and the people around us.

Some people may see this as a "lay down and die" attitude, but I see it more as "This is Your time, 'You're On' and you'll have one less day by tomorrow, so get at what you're going to do."

I guess the people that get me out of bed are my parents. I'm a carer for my Dad and my Mum is truly my best friend; somedays I just have to heave my carcass out of bed and do things for them even if I don't want to do stuff for myself, or even if I feel like shit. I suffer from fairly bad health myself most of the time (I'm having one of my sciatica moments in my left leg at present, so any movement is very painful) and I've just be diagnosed with a severe Vitamin D deficiency (which is the reason I feel so crap and full of aches and pains)... fingers crossed the meds will start to work soon.

Speaking of famous people I can only think of one that causes me to put my life into proper perspective and realise that I have a very easy existence... Joseph Merrick aka The Elephant Man. Having read about his life I suddenly realised that mine is filled with love and acceptance and I really have nothing to complain about. I find him an inspiration although he was only on this planet for a very short time (he died when he was 27). The way he seemed to handle his deformity in the spotlight of a scornful and hate-filled world never ceases to make me proud. I would have liked to have met him... something tells me he would have been incredibly intelligent and kind.

From love, and willing to go half a world away for it, I'm now back to the default reasons most of us working stiffs have: Coffee, Fear of living in a cardboard box, not having the IRS kicking down the door. *runs*

He needs a kick in the pants[1] to get up at 4:30 am, the poor bugger
Love made me welcome the biggest[2] change in my life <3<3<3

[1] just kidding, usually it's something nicer than that
[2] Now don't you start!

Hearing an extremely inspirational piece of music and imagining myself being the one creating and performing it, with all my heart.
It reminds me how I can create and ultimately do anything I want to......

Also anything that gets me in that "fantasy world", be it music, a book, a painting, or anything else to remind me of how much there truly is to explore in both reality and the imagination.

I've started so 'll finish

Plants, animals and medications, I guess.

I collect different kind of plants and animals and the care for them occupy me 24/7 (even when working/studying).

My psychiatrist fills me with pills (not that I´m bragging or something, just answering the question) which do help.

So I´d say medication makes me get up and when I´m out of the bed, I care for my flora and fauna. Work and college are always on 2nd place, more like a hobby.

and no, I don´t take anything for serious - except free will