For the past 267 days, there have been sunny skies, calm winds, the boat's been steady, with nary a thought to the pirates that lurk beyond the horizon.

However, clouds are gathering, waves are getting choppier, and worst of all, a cry from the barrelman in the crow nest, "Pirates ahead"!!! I've been warned.

As they get closer, thoughts are swirling through my mind. I hear their evil whisperings in my head. "You thought you were off our radar, not so fast." Will they succeed in overtaking the ship I've put so much effort in constructing?

They're faster, sneakier, and more cunning then I, and I know that once they come too close, I'm doomed. But, I have an itch that needs to be scratched, a void that has to be filled, and I'm having a difficult time doing so.

But one thing I've learned here at GYE. There's safety in numbers. So I'm sending out a call to my fellow mates, can anyone help me out in how to overcome these Bein Hazmanim pirates?

Stick to sailing near the coast, so the GYE navy can sent out the SRT at the earliest sign of trouble.

( basically stick around and reach out to friends)

Perhaps spend part of your day doing something productive that you really enjoy. My children used to work in maintenance during bein hazmanim and it helped them a lot but everyone has different interests and hobbies. Learning with a chavrusa can also help.

Reaching out to friends, even the busy ones, always helps. 

methinks speakin' ter cordnoy would do yer some good ya thievin' landlubber! shiver me timbers if he don' sound like one of us! 

redfaced wrote on 17 Apr 2024 12:15:

Who knows...maybe you'll manage to even make a few new ones...
...והמבין יבין

Personally, I also need to make sure to stay positive. I know that a big trigger for me is when I am down. I have already been telling myself that even if I don't learn as much as I should or want to, no need to get grumpy. I'm still the same old great guy that I was earlier today. 

Ah!!!! Ah Mevakesh! Halevai I was one!
Friend, keep being a friend. And smiling! And, of course, trucking:)

Thanks so much to all those that helped me steady the ship, both with your responses, PM's, texts, and calls. Friends like the one's you can open up to on GYE are hard to find. They say that when you need something done, ask the busiest people. They care the most, and I feel it. Thank you. 

Nothing's changed, but my perspective, and that makes all the difference.

Onward and forward, ready to take on the storms.

Yesterday I You Tubed for about 2 hours.  Nothing terrible (politics and sports). But for me, it can be, and in the past it has been the beginning of a slippery slope. The best defense is good offense. Today, I'm challenging myself to put in at least 3 hours of learning before 12 noon. Anyone with Bein Hazmanim blues welcome to join. Will keep you posted.

Stop sunbathing on the boat. Get off and swim in the waves. The physical exertion will do you good. 

YouTube?! It's the portal to Hell. A steep greased slide heading in one direction. Down.....

Why not challenge yourself to a youtube-free bein hazmanim? That's an important geder and it'll give you a star to navigate with. (Or something like that, this metaphor is outta control). 
Also, something that's helpful for learning bein hazmanim is finding a topic that's really libo chafetz and getting involved. Explore the reefs you've always wanted to see (aight, this metaphor is dead).

For now, the sun has come back out. Its warm rays and clarity have cowed the pirates into submission. They've disappeared over the horizon again. The void has been filled with fulfilling ideas that are now churning in my head from this morning's Seder. Ah! Marror never tasted as sweet, when consumed through the experience of learning! The ship sails on.

Now, it's time to do carpool, and help out at home. (Thank you Heeling for being my Rebbe, in learning how to enjoy doing  it)

That’s a captain skillfully navigating his ship with precision.

Challenging myself to 2 hours of learning. Will report.

Crush it! Dedicate the seder in honor of GYE - we could use your zechusim.
And then write up some of what you learnt and share it with us. Honestly, writing divrei torah is one of the most powerful tools I've experienced for defeating urges. It's just really difficult to do.