# Giving It All You Got



## SifuPhil (Jan 25, 2016)

I know, it should be "Giving It All You *Have*" - I'm in a slang mood.

Have you ever done something - work, hobby, relationship - where you gave it everything you had? Every last ounce of energy and focus?

To the point where you felt both emptied out and exhilarated? 

I guess this might be analogous to what they call "achieving Nirvana" or "Zen" or "Tao". 

I've felt it several times during my life, and let me say that it would be easy to become a junkie to the feeling.

What's _your_ story?


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## Bluecheese50 (Jan 25, 2016)

I don't believe it giving my all in any situation, including my marriage, I do my bit, but reserve the right to hold something back for me!


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## SifuPhil (Jan 25, 2016)

Bluecheese50 said:


> I don't believe it giving my all in any situation, including my marriage, I do my bit, but reserve the right to hold something back for me!



Probably a smart thing to do, Cheese.


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## Bluecheese50 (Jan 25, 2016)

SifuPhil said:


> Probably a smart thing to do, Cheese.



I have no wish to be totally devastated if someone of whom I am fond dies. Maybe that is weird, but that is me.


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## Karen99 (Jan 25, 2016)

Let's see...maybe playing the piano for a wedding several years ago.  I was played out when that night was over..but happy.  I've felt that way about several things in my life.  I just call it being in the zone...but hey maybe the zone was in Nirvava..


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## NancyNGA (Jan 25, 2016)

I've had that experience writing a few computer programs for work---in Fortran.   I miss that.


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## Ralphy1 (Jan 25, 2016)

I give my all to these forums.  What more could you ask of me ?


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## Bluecheese50 (Jan 25, 2016)

Ralphy1 said:


> I give my all to these forums.  What more could you ask of me ?



Oh dear!


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## Ralphy1 (Jan 25, 2016)

Yes, it is tough, but I feel that it is the route to righteousness, and to those pearly gates that are coming into sharp focus now...


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## vickyNightowl (Jan 25, 2016)

Hmmm,not an easy question to answer.
So much in the past that I have overcome.abuse,verbal,physiical,feeling unloved from my father and so much more.
I think in my life that i worked the most on and feel the most joy from are my two kids.my heart fills with an overwhelming pain of happiinness that I cry.lol. They have taught me so much.

Another thing I'm giving it all to right now,I am smoke free for 5 days .I will do it,for them.

Ralphy,lol


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## Shalimar (Jan 25, 2016)

Wow Ralphy, what an epiphany! I thought you had dedicated your remaining moments to a life of delightful debauchery, littering the road to the pearly gates with empty bottles of Henderson's gin, exhausted women, and discarded bongs? How can I ever respect you again? You were my mentor. I am crushed.


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## Shalimar (Jan 25, 2016)

Wow Vicky, you have strength, I honour your spirit!  Congrats on being five days smoke free. You can do it!  I did, five and a half years ago. Some of the most amazing people I have met are survivors. Out of amazing suffering come compassionate and loving souls. You have much to teach us all.


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## Shalimar (Jan 25, 2016)

I think my greatest focus, probably obsession, was my determination to do whatever it took to heal sufficiently so that I could live my life with dignity, purpose, and love. If that meant shedding my emotional skin many times in order to be renewed so be 

it. It is an ongoing process, raw and painful at times, but oh, the rewards! To embrace empathy, and occasionally touch another's soul, that is as close to a transcendental experience I have experienced without distancing myself from all earthly desires.


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## vickyNightowl (Jan 25, 2016)

Shalimar said:


> I think my greatest focus, probably obsession, was my determination to do whatever it took to heal sufficiently so that I could live my life with dignity, purpose, and love. If that meant shedding my emotional skin many times in order to be renewed so be
> 
> it. It is an ongoing process, raw and painful at times, but oh, the rewards! To embrace empathy, and occasionally touch another's soul, that is as close to a transcendental experience I have experienced without distancing myself from all earthly desires.



Shalimar, beautifully said.thank you for your kind words.
I can relate about 
I totally agree about touching someones soul and vice versa.

I am here to feel all that I can and encourage others,especially women,to realise their worth.its not always easy,like you said,and I do have my down times,but I get up again fighting.


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## SifuPhil (Jan 25, 2016)

vickyNightowl said:


> Hmmm,not an easy question to answer.



That's why I asked it. 



> Another thing I'm giving it all to right now,I am smoke free for 5 days .I will do it,for them.



Good for you and good luck!


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## Waterlilly (Jan 25, 2016)

Yes


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## fureverywhere (Jan 25, 2016)

I was still at Home Depot, the job sucked but I do miss some of my co-workers. But word had gotten around that I made cool aprons. Around 200 employees in the store, that was a lot of words. It was before the holidays and my plan was to do the forty of my regular customers then take individual requests. Each little works of art with acrylics, glitter and rhinestones. When I taught myself to draw graffiti style they went wild.

I could do six at a time with two days for each set. After the requests rolled in it was around sixty total. Then getting them to the store and distributed was another challenge. But it was worth it...seeing my brand all over made me proud. One day a bunch of people ambushed me to gift a scarf, jacket and best of all a Barnes and Noble card.

That's how they identified me was the books. Even if you didn't know my name, all they had to say was " The little white lady with the books" and they knew. Two other people were so happy they wrote a beautiful card...saying I was an artist, heck I just thought they were silly cartoons...a big gift card for Michaels too. That was a nice holiday.


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## Karen99 (Jan 25, 2016)

vickyNightowl said:


> Hmmm,not an easy question to answer.
> So much in the past that I have overcome.abuse,verbal,physiical,feeling unloved from my father and so much more.
> I think in my life that i worked the most on and feel the most joy from are my two kids.my heart fills with an overwhelming pain of happiinness that I cry.lol. They have taught me so much.
> 
> ...



Vicky...Five days?  You go girl.  it sounds like you have a lot of strength and determination to get you where you want to be.  It's so worth it too..I've been there and done that.  It gets better and better. :rose:


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## RadishRose (Jan 25, 2016)

Yes, I have given it my all at my work, when I did feel both drained and exhilarated! That was when I was a claim adjuster (we do have hearts, big ones, some of us.) Holding up my grandkids during family illness was draining, but exhilaration came later, after health was restored. My greatest respect goes to those who can think of others, first...at least some of their time on earth.


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## Linda (Jan 25, 2016)

I'll have to think about this question.  Right off the top of my head I'd say no.  I am married to a person that gets in and gets all sorts of things done fast and does them well.  But it can get to be a real pain in the butt for me because he also thinks he can do some of my jobs better.  Such as mopping floors.  I have told on here before how I bought him a Swiffer, since he thinks they are so great, and now we don't hear him talking about mopping as much as he used to.  I will continue to use my deck mop and be happy with it.  

On the hobbie front, I love to paint landscapes and such but I am slow and seldom give it my all.  Sometimes it takes me 2 years to do one painting.  My rock garden doesn't get the attention it deserves but a couple times, right after a rain, I did come close to Nirvana looking at it. 

I think I am more in the lazy, sloppy, loser category BUT when I sit out in the dark at night under the stars and meditate for 30 minutes or an hour I can get to where I want to be so I am not completely out of the loop-de-do.


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## vickyNightowl (Jan 25, 2016)

Karen99 said:


> Vicky...Five days?  You go girl.  it sounds like you have a lot of strength and determination to get you where you want to be.  It's so worth it too..I've been there and done that.  It gets better and better. :rose:


Thank you! I want it so bad!


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## SifuPhil (Jan 25, 2016)

Linda said:


> I think I am more in the lazy, sloppy, loser category BUT when I sit out in the dark at night under the stars and meditate for 30 minutes or an hour I can get to where I want to be so I am not completely out of the loop-de-do.



I wouldn't say loser.

But the lazy and sloppy - believe it or not those are often held in high esteem in Taoism. Maybe you're a closet Taoist!


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## Linda (Jan 25, 2016)

I don't use labels Phil, but yes, some of my kids and myself ---- somewhat Taoist and would like to be more.  Maybe we're too lazy to make all of the effort it takes.   We have read and try to practice the Tao,


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## Underock1 (Jan 26, 2016)

Life is a buffet. There are too many things to sample to load my plate up with just one thing.opcorn:


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## Ralphy1 (Jan 26, 2016)

A point of clariication:  I only participate here for a short portion of the morning and the rest of the day I spend in divine hedonism.  So, Shali, I hope you still regard me as your mentor...


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## SifuPhil (Jan 26, 2016)

Underock1 said:


> Life is a buffet. There are too many things to sample to load my plate up with just one thing.opcorn:



I just hang out around the desserts all the time. Stuff that's bad for you, but oh so good.


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## Ralphy1 (Jan 26, 2016)

And your Cupid impression is testament to your taste...


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## Shalimar (Jan 26, 2016)

Ah, Ralphy, what a relief. I can now reinstate you as mentor extraordinaire, master tutor to the delicate Shali.


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## Ralphy1 (Jan 26, 2016)

Never fear my mermaid, I will be here...


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## Shalimar (Jan 26, 2016)

Thanks Ralphy! I'll drink/toke to that!


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## Ralphy1 (Jan 26, 2016)

Yes, drink!  For you know not not where you came nor why!  Drink!  For you know not where you go nor when!  (How's that for stealing from my mentor, Omar?)


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## SifuPhil (Jan 26, 2016)

Ralphy1 said:


> And your Cupid impression is testament to your taste...



There's just more of me to love ...


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## Ralphy1 (Jan 26, 2016)

Well, don't look in my direction!


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## SifuPhil (Jan 26, 2016)

Ralphy1 said:


> Well, don't look in my direction!



Oh, c'mon - you know your eyes were drawn to those red boxers the minute I posted that pic ... I am Cupid - irresistible to both men and women. I am the Bringer of Whoopee.


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## Shalimar (Jan 26, 2016)

Ah Ralphy, the Rubyaiyat. "Be happy with this moment, for this moment is your life."


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## Shalimar (Jan 26, 2016)

Too much more of that Philly, you will be the bringee of a straitjacket!


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## SifuPhil (Jan 26, 2016)

Shalimar said:


> Too much more of that Philly, you will be the bringee of a straitjacket!



Straightjackets, whoopee - they can be the same.


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## Shalimar (Jan 26, 2016)

Eek.


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## Ralphy1 (Jan 26, 2016)

They would need a 4X size!


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## Shalimar (Jan 26, 2016)

Ralphy, big is also beautiful.


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## Ralphy1 (Jan 26, 2016)

There is big and then there is bloated.  In Philly's case, you decide...


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## SifuPhil (Jan 26, 2016)

Ralphy1 said:


> There is big and then there is bloated.  In Philly's case, you decide...



True, I have supped deeply at the Smorgasbord of Love! 

Yet do I have an insane hunger ...


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## Shalimar (Jan 26, 2016)

Ralphy, the fat police have caused immeasurable pain. I was once a fat person, worth no less than i am now. I will always have to eat about half as much as most women my size in order to stay in 120-125 pound range suitable for my body type and height. Even with exercise, I eat one and a half meals a day as a rule. Sometimes I indulge, but I can gain a 
pound a day, noob problem.


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## Ralphy1 (Jan 26, 2016)

Well, I was beyond skinny as a teen and got hassled for that, and now 
I am somewhat overweight due to my conversion to hedonism.  Body image is a bitch as we all know, but it becomes less relevant as we age...


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## Shalimar (Jan 26, 2016)

Ain't that the truth.


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## Ralphy1 (Jan 26, 2016)

Yup, the hard truths of life, and that is why I am probably happier now than I ever have been...


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## SifuPhil (Jan 26, 2016)

I tried hedonism in my younger years. It tends to blind you to the fact that it's based upon laziness, indulgence and not acknowledging that you need balance in your life - that pleasure _cannot_ be found without some pain. 

Whether you're a psychological or ethical hedonist - i.e., that it is the normal object of our desires, versus "we do not always seek pleasure, but we should" - there are multiple criticisms of that lifestyle, as indeed there are against any other.

Ralphy, I believe you are ethical hedonist.


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## Underock1 (Jan 26, 2016)

Linda said:


> I'll have to think about this question.  Right off the top of my head I'd say no.  I am married to a person that gets in and gets all sorts of things done fast and does them well.  But it can get to be a real pain in the butt for me because he also thinks he can do some of my jobs better.  Such as mopping floors.  I have told on here before how I bought him a Swiffer, since he thinks they are so great, and now we don't hear him talking about mopping as much as he used to.  I will continue to use my deck mop and be happy with it.
> 
> On the hobbie front, I love to paint landscapes and such but I am slow and seldom give it my all.  Sometimes it takes me 2 years to do one painting.  My rock garden doesn't get the attention it deserves but a couple times, right after a rain, I did come close to Nirvana looking at it.
> 
> I think I am more in the lazy, sloppy, loser category BUT when I sit out in the dark at night under the stars and meditate for 30 minutes or an hour I can get to where I want to be so I am not completely out of the loop-de-do.



The "loop-de-do" just goes around in circles and can make you dizzy and often sick. Not a bad idea to get off it once in a while. I like your life style. We are quite similar in many ways. Haven't done it for some time, but I have painted. Water colors and acrylics. Only tried Oils once. I guess I put a lot into those. I am a realist, and tend to be obsessed with details. It is satisfying to complete something when it finally meets your expectations.


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## SifuPhil (Jan 26, 2016)

This will probably sound silly, but among those moments of focus and absorption was the time I chose model railroading as a hobby.

I chose HO scale, which means that everything - the trains, the buildings, the cars, the trees - was 1/87th their real size. Operating the trains was actually secondary to model building - I love putting together model buildings, plastic and wood, painting them and detailing them. I could spend hours doing it and lose all track of time. 

Alas, that was 45 years ago - now I've "grown up".


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## jujube (Jan 26, 2016)

The last time I worked hard on something and thought the result was perfect was my 4 1/2 hours in labor resulting in a beautiful 8 pound 5 1/2 ounce baby girl.  Nine months and a few hours and the final product was wonderful.


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## Underock1 (Jan 26, 2016)

jujube said:


> The last time I worked hard on something and thought the result was perfect was my 4 1/2 hours in labor resulting in a beautiful 8 pound 5 1/2 ounce baby girl.  Nine months and a few hours and the final product was wonderful.



...and we have a "Winner!". My hat is off to every woman who chooses to get pregnant and give birth. Plant a seed inside  of your body.Grow it into a small water melon. Carry it around in discomfort for nine months. Face the prospect of eventually having to squeeze it through a garden hose! The best example I know of of true self sacrifice.
:hatoff:


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## Underock1 (Jan 26, 2016)

SifuPhil said:


> This will probably sound silly, but among those moments of focus and absorption was the time I chose model railroading as a hobby.
> 
> I chose HO scale, which means that everything - the trains, the buildings, the cars, the trees - was 1/87th their real size. Operating the trains was actually secondary to model building - I love putting together model buildings, plastic and wood, painting them and detailing them. I could spend hours doing it and lose all track of time.
> 
> Alas, that was 45 years ago - now I've "grown up".



Not silly at all, Phil. Been a model builder on and off all of my life. Just completed a "Fiddler's Green" paper model of an early balloon that will hang from my bedroom ceiling. Here's a strange thing. I am having trouble with my vision. Getting harder to read, eic. Yet I was able to thread a needle and hanging hook and tie them off with "invisible" plastic thread!


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## SifuPhil (Jan 26, 2016)

Underock1 said:


> Not silly at all, Phil. Been a model builder on and off all of my life. Just completed a "Fiddler's Green" paper model of an early balloon that will hang from my bedroom ceiling. Here's a strange thing. I am having trouble with my vision. Getting harder to read, eic. Yet I was able to thread a needle and hanging hook and tie them off with "invisible" plastic thread!



Yep - I built a wooden model ship, a three-master, and I buzzed along until I got to the rigging.

That poor ship will forever be a _Flying Dutchman_. I worked on it right after my divorce (had an abundance of time!), so that puts me at 43-44 years old. Eyes were shot for detail work and I didn't even realize it until then. 

The balloon sounds intriguing ...


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## Underock1 (Jan 26, 2016)

SifuPhil said:


> Yep - I built a wooden model ship, a three-master, and I buzzed along until I got to the rigging.
> 
> That poor ship will forever be a _Flying Dutchman_. I worked on it right after my divorce (had an abundance of time!), so that puts me at 43-44 years old. Eyes were shot for detail work and I didn't even realize it until then.
> 
> The balloon sounds intriguing ...



I've built the "Constitution" ( death by basketball ),"Santa Maria", ( lost at sea ), "Viking". "Victory" and "Golden Hind". All in full sail and completely rigged. The "Santa Maria" and "Hind" were my pride. All hand tied rigging.


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## fureverywhere (Jan 26, 2016)

I admire you guys, puzzle people too. I don't have the attention span. But that's why I'm going back to the park bench idea when Spring comes. Painting large scale and I lose myself.


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## Butterfly (Jan 27, 2016)

SifuPhil said:


> True, I have supped deeply at the Smorgasbord of Love!
> 
> Yet do I have an insane hunger ...



Oh,my!


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## SifuPhil (Jan 27, 2016)

Butterfly said:


> Oh,my!



Heh, heh ...

Made you swoon, didn't I?

That's okay - no charge this time.


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## SifuPhil (Jan 27, 2016)

fureverywhere said:


> I admire you guys, puzzle people too. I don't have the attention span. But that's why I'm going back to the park bench idea when Spring comes. Painting large scale and I lose myself.



Is the City okay with you painting their benches?


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## Underock1 (Jan 27, 2016)

fureverywhere said:


> I admire you guys, puzzle people too. I don't have the attention span. But that's why I'm going back to the park bench idea when Spring comes. Painting large scale and I lose myself.



The park bench is a wonderful thing. I wonder how much of man kinds greatest creative thought originates there.


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## SifuPhil (Jan 27, 2016)




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## Ralphy1 (Jan 27, 2016)

My hedonism included a bunch of hobbies over the years including model rail roading.  It wasn't just about being a slough, but included the hard work of getting those trains up and running...


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## Underock1 (Jan 27, 2016)

SifuPhil said:


>



Thanks, Phil. I haven't watched a Carol Burnett skit in some time. Great stuff!


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## SifuPhil (Jan 27, 2016)

Underock1 said:


> Thanks, Phil. I haven't watched a Carol Burnett skit in some time. Great stuff!



You're very welcome, Rock.

My absolute favorite has always been the elephant story. Tim Conway was a troublemaker on set and would often change his lines at the last second to surprise the others and make them lose it. This clip shows 2 versions of a skit - the first, the one that was done at the "live rehearsal", the second was what went out over the air.


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## Bajabob (Feb 20, 2017)

I too used to do a lot of programming, in Fortran. I assume that programming language is long since dead these days.


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## hauntedtexan (Feb 22, 2017)

SifuPhil said:


> I know, it should be "Giving It All You *Have*" - I'm in a slang mood.
> 
> Have you ever done something - work, hobby, relationship - where you gave it everything you had? Every last ounce of energy and focus?
> 
> ...


Would "My Karma Ran Over My Dogma" be another way of putting that?


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