should I just pack it in???

[reeferaddict]

I fight through these bouts of "depression" every year as well, but I just can't give it up. My plans for this hobby extend YEARS into the future, and I use that as a goal to keep it up. I had a back injury earlier this year that forced me to do minimal maintenance for close to 6 weeks, and by then I just wanted to add a bucket of bleach because things were so bad. Almost all of my LPS were wasting away, a couple of my favourite acros RTN'd, and my most prized frag that was growing to beat the band fell into an anemone and by the time I found it was pure white...

After contemplating the future, I decided to keep it going. My LPS are recovering, and last week I stuck to the original plan and got rid of most of my softies, tore down my 72 and amalgamated the rock and leftover livestock all into my 135. Wow! Now I have a tank that looks similar to one of the show tanks I saw that originally got me hooked. It's not perfect by any means, but amazing how a little rearranging can rekindle one's interest. Now I too am planning for a bigger tank. This won't happen for a year or two, but the thought process and challenge of setting up a new system to correct the shortfalls of my current one keeps me excited.

Here's what really helped me refocus:
In mulling it over with my girlfriend, she simply looked at me and said, "What will you do if you DON'T have a tank to care for?" All along I had thought she'd be thrilled to get rid of all this stuff, but she's so awesome, she'll support anything that brings me satisfaction and happiness.

Now I just have to figure out a way to break the news to her about the bigger tank... hehe...

Keep your chin up and move forward my friend. I bet your friends come over and are in awe of your tank, I am... nice job. Do whatever it takes to get your mind wrapped around this hobby again and get back on it. Talent like yours should not go to waste.