Inspired by "Sail Cat": What takes the wind out of your sail?

Question

What takes away your enthusiasm?

I will go first: ...... Accidentally hitting my elbow

(I don't call it a "funny bone" cause it is not a bit funny to me when I hit it.)

Dear "Red Queen" - me too. I just realized that I am always exhausted after visiting one of my sisters.

Answer 1

People who complain about every little thing bring me down like nothing else can. I have my own problems, I make it a point not to burden others with them, --I try to solve them on my own-- and I wish people would extend the same courtesy to me.

I don't mean to sound like I'm not caring and that I lack compassion, but it just seems that some people can't function without constantly complaining and after awhile it becomes tiresome. These are the people I distance myself from, and unfortunately, many are family.

Answer 2

I LOVE this analogy! Like sailing, when you confront your problems head on you'll never get any where. You have to tackle them in oblique ways, tacking into the wind and zig zagging your way upwind. At each turn into the wind youexperience a moment where the wind doesn't catch the sail at all and it just flaps there (it's called luffing). When the sail luffs, get your head down because the boom is going to come flying right by your head as it swings to catch the wind on the other side to continue your tack. So, spiritually, get ready to duck at avery zig and every zag in your life because something is about come along and smack you off the side of the head.

BB,
Raji the Green Witch

Answer 3

I agree about the funny bone. I think it should be called "if you hit it just right you will feel an electric jolt all the way up to your shoulder bone." Or "if you are careless, you can even zap it to the point of your hand going numb bone!"
What really takes the wind out of my sails is purposeful cruelty and rudeness. Anyone can hurt someone with a careless word, but to go out of one's way to purposely hurt a fellow human being is hard for me to take gracefully. I will defend my faith, but I prefer to do it in a Christlike manner. Sometimes I fall short of the mark. I can accept that all are not going to believe as I do, but that does not give me the right to condemn them.
Edit: Did you get a hit on sailboats? On a previous question I answered, that included the words "thank you," a site was given for thank you cards! They spend more on those filters than they do on weeding out profanity and racial slurs.

Answer 4

I had a shock about a month ago, right out of the blue. I was visiting a potential friend (through work-related stuff) and it turned out he was an ex-Buddhist monk who could see the future. (person specific, not in general). It was one of the most bizarre experiences I've ever had, and even though I held myself in neutral, I could barely function for two weeks afterwards. (He had a prediction for my youngest daughter.) Although everything turned out well, it was just AS IF the words were true. Wind instantly out of my sails. (It was NOT good news)

I believe, though, in another thing he said, and that is we can re-charge our energy levels using certain meditation practices. We manipulate our bodies using our emotions to get these reactions from ourselves. People who can perceive auras will tell you that there are others who suck on your energy, and they can see it happening. (Also when two people are arguing, bolts of auric light shoot from the angry person into the object of their ire.)

*I forget where I read this* Probably just a random library book.

(I agree with RQ...this is a really good question)

Another thing that makes me want to sulk/become an alcoholic/return to smoking again/seek quantities of chocolate is an arguement with my husband that goes around and around and it seems as if anything I say just is hitting a brick wall. *scream, tear out hair by roots* (Also makes me go "on strike" from housework.)

Answer 5

Not to be a downer, but finding out two really great kids who were brothers were killed in a traffic accident. That's pretty much taken the wind out of my sails.

Answer 6

My mother.