The Recovering Farmer

Friday, September 17, 2010

Knowing My Limitations

What are a person’s limitations? Probably something that is tough to answer. How do I know what my limitations are without testing the limits? And most important, how do I test my limits?

I am talking about living within our mental capacity to handle stress. Seems that I have been on the line between living within my limitations and going overboard for some time now. So I have to step back and rethink “me”. Sounds weird. The question that I often have, when I assess or reassess, is how my capacity has changed over time. Having gone through significant challenges with stress and depression seems to have left me more vulnerable to stress and depression. So my limitations have changed.

Farmers this year, again, are experiencing circumstances that have the ability to destroy any sort of expectations that they might have had. This has the potential to greatly diminish one’s ability to handle stress in the future which can push one over the edge into depression. Each “event” reduces the capacity to handle stress.

How often have we seen people around us who appear to be “off” of what we normally expect from those people? I have even heard people say that if so and so would get off their butt they would be more successful. As a community and neighbor we need to be mindful of what others are experiencing. Perhaps they are overwhelmed and have lost the ability or capacity to carry on as per usual. Make it a point to talk to your neighbors. It will benefit both them and you. I know, I have been there. Make it a good one.

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