Sim Racing is Good For The Soul
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- čas přidán 29. 04. 2021
- This video is a little bit different. I'm going to attempt to tell two stories that hopefully come together to make some sort of coherent point. The first of these stories concerns a race I took part in last week, and that's where we begin things in today's video.
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Hey guys. Thanks for all of the wonderful, thoughtful comments. I wasn't really sure what to expect posting this video, but the response has been incredibly helpful, overwhelming, thought provoking, profound and a whole host of other positive adjectives! I'm, working my way though trying to respond to everyone, but every time I get back down to 'inbox zero' there's another dozen waiting for me! Just wanted to let everyone that's waiting on a reply to know that I'm working on it! :)
Hey Chris, I really appreciate you talking about this. I got really into sim racing and was able to put together a league of like minded friends about 3 years ago. And since then its been the highlight of my week every week, and for the first couple weeks of the pandemic. Really helped me get through. After a couple months though, it lost something for me, I started to dread the pressure and the need to perform. I started to really dislike tuning in to turn some practice laps and decided to stop racing all together, the league of all my friends I setup has kept going, And i've really felt no drive to get back in there. Until recently. I realize now that I was terribly depressed, My work started to slide, my relationships all slid, I didn't take part in any of my hobbies. But I am starting to feel better now and really excited to get back in and turn some laps. It means a lot to me to just hear that other people are going through or dealt with the same things, and thoughts and pressures. Thanks for what you do.
I 💯 agree with the video title I have autism and If Iv had a rough day I usually head straight up to my room and spend spend two or three hours racing I don’t no if anyone can understand this but racing is my therapy I can sit down unwind and stop worrying about what happened that day and enjoy some fantastic races
@@mitchelmaxd 1000% understood
Hey, Chris, keep doing what you love. I appreciate that you are opening up.
You really deserved that podium mate, can't imagine how that must have felt for you :) fantastic video as always!
Thanks mate. It could have gone either way tbh!
@@ChrisHaye Absolutely! Not gonna lie I was really worried I pushed you wide at the hairpins
@@7thFEROX - Nah, we both braked reeeeeallly late ;)
@@ChrisHaye it definitely was a case of “I’ll brake when he brakes” 😄
@@7thFEROX If a popular CZcams content creator whose pace was usually worse than mine made a video centered about how they managed to beat me, I'm not sure how I'd take it, but you're one fine sport :).
This one hit close to home. I haven't touched a sim in months because my day to day life has been, quite frankly, awful. This video is just what I needed to convince me to dip my toe in the water again. Thank you.
How are you getting on mate? Making laps with a smile I hope :)
Loved this, Chris. I also struggle with mental health and am so glad that you've taken notice enough to address it. Amazing video and what a battle!
Thanks Paul. Honestly it took me far too long to realise anything was wrong and a lot of help from people close to me.
@@ChrisHaye No therapy is bizarre. Never underestimate yourself and the support you will find among the people who discover you through the internet! Good luck and stay strong.
@@spellcaster39ify Absolutely.
Agree so much. I've been really struggling recently, and this vid hit home right now. I'm not doing well mentally for various reasons. But when driving and everything is working just right, sim racing is my zen place.
It's not just you, brother. Lots of us, myself included, have struggled this last year. Hang in there and keep throwing down those laps. We'll be back to whatever the new normal will be soon enough.
Relatable...so utterly relatable.
I came to a similar realization last night, though my hiatus was not as short lived as yours (scope of years rather than months).
A work injury put me down for the past month and it put me in a bad spot. I turned back to iRacing and after a few rough events, still dealing with a lot of negative juju, something clicked and I just let go of whatever it was hanging over me. I'm coming out of every race I've done with a smile, not concerning myself so much with performance but rather enjoyment. Minding my own, trying my absolute best to make the racing clean and fun, and not letting little odd-ball things and more 'aggressive' players get to me.
Its good to hear your battling back against your own demons. The year that was 2020 has put a point on how important mental health is what with how little people have been able to get out and get away from reality. Hopefully as 2021 and beyond progresses it will only get better.
Thanks for sharing your story man, it all sounds very familiar! Hope things continue to improve for you. :)
I appreciate your honesty paired with the passion we share. Wish you the best my friend
Thank you! You too!
I get what you're talking about.
When you have a closely fought battle with a similar rated driver, there are few things better. It doesn't even matter who wins.
It's difficult to explain to people who don't get it, but you've done a wonderful job putting it into words.
It's an odd thing to explain to people that don't take part. But I guess it's the same for people that go paint-balling, play 5 a side or anything else. Though, there is still the "gaming" stigma - but thankfully that seems to be dying off quite quickly of late!
It really is
As an aside, if you're interested in joining us for some ACC racing, we run casual drop in races as well as the GT3, British GT and Endurance championships. All ages/abilities welcome. We have absolute beginners and absolute aliens, and then there's me :D
discord.gg/2e8knTFv9g
Joined!
@@paulcataldi4895 As soon as I get a GPU that can run ACC properly I'll be along to join you.....so in about 2023 at this rate ;-)
I’ll have to join up! Don’t have a mic atm but will soon! It’ll be awesome racing together🎉🎉
Ahhh cant wait to be able to join something like this. If only I could get my hands on a graphics card!
@@Daz555Daz didnt see you made this comment as well! damn this GPU shortage
This resonated on a deeply personal level. I had been sim racing for about 6 years when my head starting warping everything. I took a 4 year hiatus from any sort of real competition until I recently started again and it is slowly healing me, I can feel it.
Probably the best video you’ve ever done. You should be proud. Sometimes in life it’s the little things that mean so much given the circumstances . 👍🏻👏👏
Thanks Jonathan, it means a lot :)
Content like this is what makes your channel stand out, I loved this Chris, it really spoke to me, congrats on a great race, keep it coming. All the best. 👍🏼
Thanks Scott, it means a lot. :)
Getting into a good, friendly racing league is one of the best things i've ever done. As someone who suffers from depression and anxiety, good competitive gaming communities give me something to aim for.
Felt like a good bedtime story🍻. Emotions are a good thing to have. This is what makes life worth living my friend👊
I don't usually do this. But I send you hugs. This video almost made me tear up. When you mentioned mental health...it made me pay attention to my oblivious way of thinking. Sim racing has helped me focus on life as well by showing me patience and how to approach life's next mental curbs. I felt this video. Thank you sir. Hugs sent to you from Florida.
ive started sim racing now and im genuinely happier.
Absolutely Chris.
Thank you first for sharing and being so open. Amazing.
Secondly, nothing beats a close fight with another car in a sim race. That’s what we’re all looking for when we venture online and it can make you feel so happy.
I’ve made friends online with people just because we had a similar pace to each other and were respectful in the battle.
Thanks Dan. I wish more people got involved in community races, because the experience is so different from the typical open lobby races, or even scheduled racing. Respect is almost guaranteed, and you're much more likely to find a group of people of a similar ability within the pack.
@@ChrisHaye exactly. Can I plug the community I race with for ACC on PS4?
Great video and it is indeed good for the soul. Can't wait to be racing with you in the admin car for our endurance series!
Same here, have been struggling with mental health and it's been slowly getting worse through the years. Just like you said, it was getting hard to get through the day. This pretend racing takes us out of the daily life struggles entirely and for a little while, you become one with the car, you feel like a racing driver and nothing else matters. I know the feeling, I had it last week even if I finished 3rd from the bottom, the race was pretty intense with the other two 😁.
Just want you to known your videos are amazing, your voice is so calming and you're my favourite sim racing showcaser and you seem like a great person. I hope things will get better for you
Chris you have just kicked my virtual butt!! I have been out myself since late last year a shoulder injury put me out of action and a slipped downhill from there. The injury has been long to heal. Over the last month or so physically I have been capable of driving but the injury has been an excuse not to jump back in the sim. Just seeing this you have done the job and mentally encouraged me to pick up the wheel and get driving again. Thanks and BTW over that period I have not taken a back seat watching your content so no matter what it is still good for the soul.
I feel you. Injuries like that are the worst. I got some tendon damage in my had years ago and it took me far too long to pick up the guitar again, even after it had healed. Best of luck in your next race Edwin!
And one thing every sim racer needs to remind themselves is, if you really find peace or feel comfortable while racing during hard times then you already possess a certain amount of mental strength. Staying calm and focused while racing is not a common skill that everyone has. So remind yourself that you are already strong. Great video and great production, l learn many things for my on channel from such talents.
Thanks man :)
Self actualisation via simulation... I wouldn't talk it down. That's solid gold right there.
Sim Racing is incredbly good for the soul, one of the few things that really takes me away from the annoyances of real life. Mega job on the podium and hope the soul is good!
Just finished my last final exam for the spring semester. Likewise, this last year has been mentally taxing with no break in any sense, be it school or social.
One of the things I'd like to do over summer is work on my physical fitness. It's an area I've generally lacked in and getting out in the sun and away from everything will do my mental health some good. Now, just to figure how to be physically active...😄
Serious... got goosebumps on the end! Its like you describe my love for car racing overall. I always coming to your channel to learn more about SIM racing. Keep it up!
Started looking for a wheel for Truck Sim and came by your channel. Love this video, love your honesty and bravery more.
Utterly relatable. Glad you are on the mend and great story and video. Wish you all the best.
I have been recently dealing with a similar issue after never having any mental health issues (to my knowledge) and I just did my first endurance race with a friend of mine this last Sunday and it was such an amazing feeling, I loved this video and hope that the sim racing keeps on helping your soul.
Man, you have no idea just how much good. I had a bout with depression a couple years back, but things turned around and life was good, then 2020 happened, and it happened big for me. In April of 2020, my wife was diagnosed with inoperable liver cancer. Over the course of the year, we tried a couple different types of treatment, none successful. I have taken off work to stay at home and care for her, and know there is no chance of cure or remission. About last November, when things were really bad, I was doing some cleaning up in my shed, and found my old G25, which had been packed away for over 10 years. I dusted it off, hooked it up and to my surprise, it still worked. I had found something to research other than cancer. I started watching videos based on internet searches on top 5 racing games. I bought myself Assetto Corsa for Christmas. Not being able to see family over the holidays was tough. All I was concentrating on was looking after my wife, at the expense of my own mental health.
I found that doing nothing more than picking a car and a track, and just touring around was the escape from reality I so desperately needed. Sim racing has become my link to the outside world. It is my diversion from the truly scary and heartbreaking component of my life that was dragging me into a pit I couldn't escape from. When i become overwhelmed, I can just grab my steering wheel and drive, as fast as I want. I don't race competitively all the time, and even when I join an organized race, I'm far from competitive. Most often, I'm last, but I don't care. I'm not there to be first. I'm there just to be there. To interact, to socialize, to be "normal", if only for an hour or so. I can honestly say, without sim racing, I'm not even sure I would be here right now to even be able to look after my wife. I owe my sanity to it, and it's not something I will ever forget.
Community! I understand what you are saying, as my son struggles as well. Sim racing is his love as well and he shared it with me. Stay strong and thank you for sharing.
Well said! thanks Riko!
Generally I don’t post comments, but I think I need this time. I guess a lot of us can relate to that, each with you own reasons. What a beautiful video Chris! I love your content and you’re very good using a race to tell us a story. Stay strong, things will get better!
Cheers to you Chris! This year in particular has been hard for obvious reasons. Sim racing has been my escape and release through some challenging times too. Glad to hear that you health is on the up and up. Taking care if yourself is the the most important thing you can do. Here's to the future.
This is a coincidence. I just got into sim racing and I am going through the same thing. It's therapeutic. I also noticed sim racing is helping my brain learn things faster in my daily life!
Wonderful video, Chris. I empathise with you a lot. Somedays the world is always gloomy and seemingly no sunshine can penetrate the darkness, but when I’m simracing, I’m brought back into this world of raw joy where engines rev and gears shift as you zoom across the circuit and pull off that perfect apex at the corner, trailbraking, and then exiting equally perfectly. Sim racing, I daresay, is therapeutic. There is no one in the world that can take that away from us. In this simulated world where we can race to our hearts content, in cars we may never be able to afford, sim racing tells you, “yes, you can!”. Some may brush it off as mere escapism, but for one such as myself who tries to improve on my skills day by day, the joy I get comes not from that momentary bliss that people always dismiss as simply being your everyday dopamine dosage, but from nailing that first clean lap on a new track, shaving off seconds, and finally blazing through feeling like a world champion, as you set a personal best. The reward is in itself, and you need not any acknowledgement from external sources. It is pure, raw bliss, something, perhaps, we have missed since our childhood days.
What a phenomenal video, Chris. Great race, great narrative and incredible editing - the way you punctuated scenes with lightning transitions made it very emotional. Loved it!
I can relate so much to this video mate. This was beautiful ❤️
Thanks for making this video!
Thank you for this. I struggle a lot, but racing just feels good. Even if I don't win, if there's a good battle somewhere, it just brings joy.
I never comment, but watch all your videos... Got chills at the end, hearing the sincerity and joy in your voice.. Wish you all well man!!
Fantastic video Chris. Appreciating those special moments when they come is what makes it all worth while. Wishing you the best, and hoping for more videos like this in the future.
This is absolutely relatable! Had a race last week after a month of no racing and finished on the podium. It was such a great moment and till today I look back on it and smile!
There's something about your style that's really calming. Love it :)
Way to go man!! I too have struggled with mental health and sometimes, all we need to do is have a clean battle on the track :)
Chris, you are not alone buddy. There are many people out there who struggle. Day in and day out. What breaks this monotonous grind of life are soul inspiring videos like these. Who would of thought a racing game/video would put a smile on someone's face. You just did that to me. Thanks dude!
I love listening to more of these stories!
Keep ‘em coming
Best video I've seen in a while. Thanks, man, it felt really good. Congrats on the podium!
Just got to say, you have some of the best production quality on CZcams. Keep up the great work!
good race man! I agree completely, that part about being *truly* focused for the first time in months when you're struggling in real life is so true and so important for me too.
cheers!
I only started simracing around October time when I bought ACC and it's been a huge help. It's the most rewarding hobby I've ever had. Im happy to hear it's brought you joy during a tough patch!
What a fantastic video Chris and dude, your voice is so soothing to listen to. I can totally related to everything you've touched on in this video. I had a massive panic attack a few years back and it totally changed my life. I'd probably had Anxiety and depression issues years before having this attack, but like most of us men, bottled everything up and tried to take all the stress of daily life in my stride. Talking about it is the best thing anyone can do and if this video helps anyone address problems they may have that's great. We need a bit of "down time" and like most of us, ACC SIM racing is the release we need. It truly is good for the soul.👌
Hey man love the videos stay strong just know a new video from you makes my day and your content has helped me through dark days and I bet there are a lot of us
@chris I have just starter sim racing but still learning as it’s not easy as you know. You’re brilliant at it but it wasn’t that which got me to subscribe.
I am leaning and loving racing . But I also suffer from mental challenges in terms of bi polar and all that comes with it.
So ... your courage in sharing your story with your fans and followers is insanely valuable for others to understand what we endure and how hard it can be for those that have mental disorders like depression which are , “honestly” as you always say when rating games etc , deadly for many.
You addressed a vital issue brother ... many can now relate and hopefully ask for help.
Thank you! You’ are inspiring and respect you have from me (not that one person that means nothing to you .. just a fan) is massive and a fan for life.
Respect brother
Be a role model ... share man. Let those know that need to hear it that it’s not easy and to get help.
Sim racing is hard but life with a mental condition is harder than flying up The Red River (which ain’t red) at 300 Ks per hour with no breaks and full throttle ...it can be deadly !
Thank you Brother!!
That took bravery and I salute you!!
Thank you so much for this video Chris! Sim racing has helped me a lot with my mental issues too and I'm so grateful for this community that we are all making!
great video man, nice job... i'm really slow simracer, but those minutes, when i'm sitting in my rig are peaceful, as you well said, those minutes are good for my soul
MH challenges can keep us from doing the things that refresh us, but its all about being kind to yourself and knowing the cloud will pass. Really enjoy your work and tone of delivery! I hope that the number and frequency of good days get more and more until you can describe them as something that you 'used to have to deal with'.
I know exactly what you mean. I have a very busy life between work and family, which leaves me with very little time for one of my passions, sim racing. At the moment, I'm taking part in a 10 rounds championship, with a race a week. And when the lights go green, I just forget about it all, what matters is the next corner and the battles with my fellow racers. And during those 50 minutes, I am on a different state of mind. When it's over, I feel relaxed and happy.
I hope that all works out well for you, Chris. Really enjoyed the video.
Love your videos and insights Chris. Thanks for sharing with us. Keep them coming 👍🏽
Great content CH! It's been a crazy year and a nice race certainly helps stabilize it.
This video gave me "the feels". Really understand what you were talking about. Thanks for a great video, you are an awesome racer and content creator!
If you're dealing with metal issues, it is a good idea to get involved in charity. Serving others on a regularly basis is great rejuvenation for the soul. Give it a try.
You make a very persuasive argument!
Loving the new studio setup, looks amazing and the hard work has paid off. I'm only a couple of weeks into my sim racing journey (on console) so I'm mainly learning tracks and cars offline. I'm really looking forward to getting to a point where I can be competitive. Your content helps massively.
Thanks Jamie. :)
Beautiful video! Please make more of these over the months!
Thanks Noah. I'm definitely back on track with the videos now, and feeling confident that I'll be producing more consistent content moving forward. :)
I'm nowhere near getting podiums yet, but the positive feeling from taking a second off your PB on that lap you knew you just nailed every apex and braking point.
Thanks for the great videos, this one just shows the fast guys are still humans (with alien times) at the end of the day.
Awesome video mate. Very well spoken. Being open about mental health and the daily challenges of it was great.
Thanks for sharing Chris. Keep up your excellent videos, they help others in similar situations feel better. ;)
Been a really hard week for me, dislocated my collarbone after a week of not being able to drive because of a wrist injury. Sim racing can sometimes be the only thing that brings me a sense of peace. Today I hopped on for some left handed driving, and even though i was far below my times, I felt that sense of peace again. I am very thankful for the privilege that has allowed me to get into this hobby.
Wonderful video mate. subscribed
Races like that are a perfect example as to why I love sim racing so much. Your battle with Ferox reminded me of my personal all time favourite sim racing moment, which was last year in the last 30 mins of a 6h race, in a really intense battle. The other guy basically made me push like I was driving for my life, I pushed like crazy. It was extreme, and I did make some mistakes. But it was clean and fair racing. And what matters most to me is that I loved every single second of it.
Totally agree Chris. I run offline races (we have poor internet for gaming where I live) and I love the break from the ‘real’ world. Even if I finish in the top 10 but have some good battles or improved lap times, or just have a clean race with consistent lap times, I come away feeling refreshed. The diversion is important to me because it causes me to focus on one thing for 45 minutes that isn’t work or personal struggles, and I enjoy running around in circles chasing computer cars for the win. Good for the soul indeed, and glad to that you shared this to acknowledge that it’s okay not to be okay, and that we are a community that can help each other, even if it’s just through having a good clean race once in a while.
Love your content. You always get to the point with great clarity.
I absolutely understand where you're coming from Chris. It may look silly on the outside but you're right. It's good for the soul. Thank you for sharing, I wish you the best.
Great video as always. Your story telling skills are incredible.
Great video Chris, and I do get your point. Always struggled with psychological issues myself, and there are times when I struggle to find enjoyment with anything... but when I get the time, I sit myself down, wheel at the front, fire up AC and let myself go. And in the end it feels so good...
Thanks for the video loved it! Sim racing also kept me going this year!
There is something about racing with those that you know which is just different and special. Although more competitive races, like Sim Grid Endurance races, are cool to take part in, especially when you do driver swap races with friends, racing against friends in a respectful manner, knowing there is respect both ways, is just special. It gives me the pick-me-up I sometimes need when things are getting a bit extreme.
Mental health is often overlooked and stigmatized. Even if you don't know what help you require, professionals are trained to identify and help. Identifying that you need help is critical, and can be so difficult when stuck in a hole, and convincing yourself things get better. Good luck on what lies ahead. I hope you get all the support you need. :)
Good video Chris, nice to actually hear the passion of sim racing in your voice
Just found this video and I have to agree Chris, about 10 years ago I had some problems with my mental health that left me struggling to concentrate on anything, sim racing really helped me, racing a car forces your mind to focus one corner at a time and as I did it more and more and for longer and longer stints my concentration levels began to slowly improve. Recently I've got back into sim racing again after a break of a few years with some health problems and I'm loving being back behind the wheel again.
That was brilliant to watch 👍👍 Thanks and keep well!
I hear you mate, It's been sine the Beginning of november since my last race and actually being on the rig. Two days ago I went on and honestly it felt great. It really does just relax you and make you feel great, especially when racing has been part of your life since when you were young
Hang in there Chris, it's been a tough year, it's understandable to struggle. There's lots of people out there who may not know you that well, but through CZcams at least enjoy stuff that you do. :)
Simracing can be good for the soul, absolutely agreed. It's also got this raw physicality to it that other kinds of videogames don't have, that weirdly seems to help with mood. But don't forget the outside world, being outdoors socializing and all of that, don't let simracing get in the way of it. Take care
And that was a bloody good battle!
The YT video equivalent of a short story. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Not got much else to add 'cept some words of encouragement for folks out there struggling with their mental health during this strange little blip in human history. For everyone to whom this applies (whether they know and acknowledge it or not), just keep plugging away! We all do what we gotta to keep steady!
Not sure where to start. But when I get home from work. I use sim racing to decompress from the day. It helps me with anger. Mental health is a problem, we use racing to help decompress. Stay strong, Be strong.
Thanks man :)
This was nice. Love the shots and the story behind it.
I felt your emotions, very special video! What a great feeling that was!
So much this. Great video, such a positive message. I also found that weightlifting really helps me in difficult times. All the best, hope you find yourself steadily improving.
Hey Chris, just found your channel, what a great guy! Nice video man, I really enjoyed the commentary and the gameplay with the camera switches, great great job. I'm really happy for you too for overcoming the struggle of last year, new sub!
Without being able to lose myself in a virtual battle every now and then I think the pressures of the last year would start to build up in my head. My hobby of sim racing has been a welcome escape for me as it’s means for 20 minutes or so I don’t have the capacity to think or worry about anything else as I try and squeeze the best result out of myself and my car. Thanks for such a thought provoking video mate.
Great vid man. I was in the same boat, i stopped playing last april and only started a wk ago again. We'll hang in there mate and sim on🏎
Hi Chris!
I know the situation around mental issues from my personal side.
Only got ACC recently and I love it.
One of the few things where I can completely forget about everything and just focus myself on racing.
Fully supportive Chris! And fully agree! Sim racing's like making you show yourself.. to the world! Your skills, your determination, and last but not least, your respect. No matter how good you are, presenting yourself to a respected one is always exciting. A race is always very enjoyable with respect. Because it's not just like "Hey, come on and win the race!". It also makes you come together, Show and SHARE what you got so that makes like a kind of a communication of durability with the other drivers. And i believe it makes you, FEEL GOOD, comfortable, and completed.
I totally get it, and thanks for letting us into that moment, and that whole experience. For me, Sim Racing lets me re-experience what real-world racing gave me, in a distant younger past. Until someone has lived it, it is not possible to really describe the mental state in which a racer must find himself. And that state removes us temporarily from everything else in the world. In real-world racing, your life depends on it, but if you give yourself over, a Sim can take you there too. So glad to hear that this helped you, Chris. And you are far from alone in not immediately recognizing the toll that the last year has taken on us all. Cheers from Canada.
Great vid, its interesting to see how good you drive. Its so clean. I am a subscriber since about 1,5 years and really love watching your Content. Really good vids. Thanks for giving me a good distraction from the Corona virus.
Thanks! The Bentley was very good in the wet, so the driving was quite naturally calm.... which is a blessing really!
fantastic vid, well done Chris and welcome back to the race
Thank you for sharing your 'moment' with us. 😊
I know that feeling. I started taking sim racing a bit more serious after I had cancer in 2017. It helped me get through the fear of it coming back. And I started getting better at it. Late 2019 my mother died from cancer and the only time I didn't think about my real life struggles when I was in my rig. All the pressure from school, all the thoughts were gone it was just me and my car. I don't know if anyone can relate but if you've lost a person you love and went through some rough times you think about what you could have done to change things. Ive should have shown my appreciation a lot more I should have done more but you can't go back and change it....... And that's what started creeping up to me early 2020 (I was inactive for 2 or 3 months) and all of a sudden I was racing 200 laps of laguna Seca with a lot of youtubers. That showed me exactly what you said sim racing is therapy and it's the most calming thing I can do. I finished school with a good marks (even in these times) got my apprenticeship at Mercedes-Benz Germany and here I am league racing every Friday. I hope my mum is proud.
Thanks for the video and for sharing these thoughts
I don't usually comment on stuff but I really felt compelled to write something here.
This video resonated with me a lot. Beautifully made and pointing out, what for me is by far, the best thing about sim racing. The feeling you get when you have a proper close-quarters battle when you are already on your limit and still trying to get inside your opponent's head. Having an absolute blast and yet maintaining the crucial mutual respect for racing.
The way I see it, winning or losing in that scenario is quite irrelevant. I believe we all fall into the temptation of taking sim racing too seriously and aiming to be faster and faster only to be left feeling disappointed when we realize we can't all be aliens.
Just relax, find someone about the same level as you, and no matter if you are battling for a podium or in the last row, there is no best feeling in sim racing.
To finish, I absolutely understand that feeling you mention Chris, every time it has been a while without online racing, and I get back and find a proper battle, I find myself shouting way louder than I should for my little flat: THIS IS WHY I PLAY THIS S+++!!! x)
Anyways, best of luck with everything I think you deserve it!
Ps: Love the new studio.
This was really interesting to watch, nice battles! Glad you are getting your mental health addressed:)
I know exactly what you mean. Sim racing is all I had left after a hip replacement op went wrong and then the cancer ive been fighting since. Sim racing is all i can do now. (Tennis in the summer, Cycling all year round, ex British BMX champion and National champion, Basket Ball for the National league Team Fiat and finally Airsoft.......All gone) The only thing I have is Sim racing. Its kept me alive. Love beating all those kids! (im 60) Ha Ha
Thanks for sharing your story Frank. Sounds like you're the sort of person that goes all in on everything you do - so it's no surprise you're keeping the kids on their toes! :D
Depression is an insidious beast. It sneaks its way into your every thought without you realizing it is even there, sucking the joy out of life. Eventually it comes to you that you no longer remember what anything else feels like. Or at least that is what my life has been until I finally sought out professional help. The last year plus hasn't helped matters, rather it has accelerated many people's decline. I'm glad you found that joy again in sim racing. Remember, though, that it is OK to be not and OK. And that seeking therapy is nothing to be ashamed of. Your life and the lives of those you love will be all the better for it.
Thanks for the eloquent and thoughtful response. I have little more to add than to say thank you. :)
What a beautifully calming video. Thanks for that!
I doubt you'll see this.
But I've been on a hiatus from (proper) sim racing for about a year and a half, only dipping in to do some hot laps if a new car drops on AMS2 or some F1 career mode. Nothing like the iRacing leagues o was used to.
And I've not really known why. I just stopped feeling it. But seeing this video opened my eyes, in a sense. I've been pretty shitty mentally for years now and I can see that I took the complete wrong approach to racing, which ruined the experience for me.
I'm reinstalling iRacing now because I finally realise how to do this an enjoyable way, and whilst this video isnt really about that, it's helped me massively.
So thank you.
I don't often respond to comments on old videos, since it's a bit of a nightmare to keep up, but this spoke to me. I know where you're coming from dude. I've not had that exact experience with Sim Racing, but with other passtimes, as the environment changes and the people and organisations you're involved with change and evolve it's pretty easy to become disillusioned. And I've fouind myself engaging with those hobbies in a different way to counteract that, which rarely seems to pan out. Glad you've found a way to get back and get what you need from sim racing mate.