Day 2130: Historic

In the entire history of this blog, I’ve never used the word “historic” in a title. Does that automatically make this post historic?

Let’s check the definition:

his·tor·ic
/hiˈstôrik
adjective

famous or important in history, or potentially so.
“we are standing on a historic site”
synonyms: significant, notable, important, momentous, consequential, memorable, newsworthy, unforgettable, remarkable

Perhaps.

Here’s the historic inspiration for today’s post:

When you use the word “historic,” what do you mean?

Do you see anything historic in my other photos from yesterday?

 

Here’s “Domestic Violence Awareness” by Gremlin:

Thanks to all who helped me create this “historic” post and — of course! — to YOU.

 

 

Day 2129: An aura of light and love

Yesterday, I saw how to create an aura of light and love.

“Live righteously and love everyone; you will build up around you an aura of light and love.”

I don’t know if I always live righteously and love everyone, but I am capable of seeing an aura of light and love, even when it’s raining.

 

 

Great baseball players, dogs dressed up in Halloween costumes, and giving sorrow words can all build up an aura of light and love, as can “Tears of Rain” by Pat Metheny and the late Charlie Haden.

Gratitude also creates an aura of light and love, so many thanks to all who helped me create today’s post and — of course! — to YOU.

Day 2128: When children are present

When children are present,

and even when they’re not, share your best.

Share your best, especially when the world seems dark and scary.

 

Find the beauty within and around you.

Look more closely for the small details that give you joy.

Say “hello,” tell people your name, and the magic will be totally real.

This is what comes up on YouTube when I search for “When children are present.”

Thanks to all who helped me create today’s blog post and to you — of course! — for being present.

Day 2127: I don’t know what to write about hate

Today, the day after the mass shooting at a Pittsburgh Synagogue, I don’t know what to write about hate.  Therefore, I will quote others.

Patriotism is when love for your own people comes first;  nationalism,  when hate for people other than your own comes first.  — Charles de Gaulle

This world of ours … must avoid being a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect. — Dwight D. Eisenhower

It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works.  All good things are difficult to achieve, and bad things are very easy to get.  — Confucius

If you hate someone, it’s like a boomerang that misses its target and comes back and hits you in the head. The one who hates is the one who hurts. — Louis Zamperini

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. — Martin Luther King, Jr.

The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference — Elie Wiesel

You reclaim your power by loving what you were once taught to hate. — Bryant H. McGill

Fear of something is at the root of hate for others, and hate within will eventually destroy the hater. — George Washington Carver

I was taught that segregation was the will of God, and the Bible was quoted to prove it. I was taught that women were inferior to men, and the Bible was quoted to prove it.  I was taught that it was okay to hate other religions,  and especially the Jews, and the Bible was quoted to prove it. —  John Shelby Spong

Hate has no place in the House of God. — Desmond Tutu

I never learned hate at home, or shame.  I had to go to school for that.  — Dick Gregory

It is not anthrax or terrorism or AIDS that is the worst ill in our world: The most horrible disease in the world is hate. — Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.  —  James A. Baldwin

I have striven not to laugh at human actions, not to weep at them, nor to hate them,  but to understand them.  — Baruch Spinoza

I don’t know what to write about hate, so I’ll share some photos from yesterday.

I don’t know what to write about hate, so here’s Cantor Azi Schwartz singing Jewish prayers to the fallen in 2015.

 

I don’t know what to write about hate, but I do know how to express gratitude to all who helped me write today’s post and — of course — to you.

 

Day 2126: I care

I care to start today’s post with links to past caring posts, including Day 2091: Open with care, Day 1809: Caregivers,  Day 1467: Why should anybody care about me?, Day 1279: Care,  Day 1233: Take Care, Day 672: Care, Day 578: I don’t care, and Day 195: Self care, wisdom, kindness.

I care to share this recent exchange with somebody I care about:

Me: I wonder why I’m so anxious?

Caring friend: Because you care.

Last week, I cared to apologize to a health insurance reviewer whom I had yelled at. He replied, with care: “You care about your patient.”

I care to share my photos from yesterday.

I care to caution all those who care: Warning! If you care, make sure you practice self care.

Here‘s “I Care” by Beyonce.

Today, I care to host a retreat for other group therapists who care .  Because I care about the Red Sox, I didn’t get much sleep last night.

I care about your comments and will read them after today’s group therapy retreat.

I care to end every post with thanks to all who help me create these blog posts with care and — of course! — to you, for caring.

Day 2125: The truth

The truth is that I knew the title of today’s post even before I reviewed my photos from yesterday.

The truth is that when I think of the truth these days, I’m on the verge of tears.  The truth is that the truth seems to depend what side you’re on. The truth is that I can never remember people being so divided about what the truth is.

The truth is that I keep inviting people in my therapy groups to write helpful truths on post-it notes (which, in truth, I call “stickies”).

The truth is that the post-it note above describes the Four Agreements and the truth is that you can read more about those here.

The truth is that I took more photos yesterday.

The truth is that I didn’t mean to take the last four.

The truth is that this sign …

… includes the word “true” in it, which I just noticed.

Here’s “True Colors” by Cindi Lauper.

Is it the truth that the truth was simpler in 1986, or is that just an illusion?

The truth is that I hope you share your truth below.

The truth is that I’m always grateful for those who help me create this blog and — of course! — to YOU, for being true.

Day 2124: Space

Do I have space, here and now,  to say what I want to about space? Will I space out and repeat what I’ve already written about space in Day 1648: Personal Space,  Day 1166: Take up space!!, Day 871: What’s taking up space in your head?, Day 838: It fills the space, Day 459: Time and Space, and Day 460: Time and space continued?

I do have the space to explain what inspired today’s title.

My phone has space for that ukulele app and I have space to tell you that, six months ago, I never thought I would need or have a ukulele space.  There was space in my life for a ukulele, even though I never imagined a ukulele in my space.

What am I trying to say in this space? Something that somebody had the space to say in a therapy group yesterday: “You never know.” I have the space to say that a different way: “Expect the unexpected.”

There’s space for my other photos from yesterday.

Forget trying to find a parking space near Fenway Park yesterday.

There’s always space for puns here at The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally.

One of my patients had the space yesterday to recommend that children’s book about mindfulness.

There’s space where I work for that painted mural. Yesterday’s blog space included this photo:

My boyfriend Michael and I often occupy space in pet stores.

I’m sorry, we don’t have space for a trendy house for Oscar or Harley.

Is there space for my photos of cupcakes?

Last night, Michael fixed the TV — which takes up a lot of space —  with a new lamp, which fit perfectly into its space.

Then, I had the space to drink tea, eat cake, and watch the second game of the World Series.

As always, there’s space for great music here.

There’s space for me to repeat this photo to ask for comments …

… and to express thanks to all who helped me create another post in this space and — of course! — to YOU.

Day 2123: All your feelings are okay

Yesterday, in a therapy group, people talked about uncomfortable feelings, including anger, fear, and sadness. Some had  “secondary” feelings about their feelings, including guilt and shame.

Because negative thoughts and feelings can stick,  I felt it was okay to ask people to write helpful phrases on yellow stickies. I feel that it’s okay to share some of those yellow stickies here:

 

It’s okay that I was feeling rushed when I took that photo of “This too shall pass.”

All your feelings are okay about my photos in this post.

All my feelings are okay, including anger — which I’m expressing in my new song, “I’m Mad About You” — and confidence about performing that song a week from Friday.

“This Feeling” by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini comes up when I search YouTube for “all your feelings are okay.”

All my feelings are okay about this comment after that YouTube video:

MITA DAS
1 week ago
I think 0:00 0:01 0:02 0:03 0:04 0:05 0:06 0:07 0:08 0:09 0:10 0:11 0:12 0:13 0:14 0:15 0:16 0:17 0:18 0:19 0:20 0:21 0:22 0:23 0:24 0:25 0:26 0:27 0:28 0:29 0:30 0:31 0:32 0:33 0:34 0:35 0:36 0:37 0:38 0:39 0:40 0:41 0:42 0:43 0:44 0:45 0:46 0:47 0:48 0:49 0:50 0:51 0:52 0:53 0:54 0:55 0:56 0:57 0:58 0:59 1:00 1:01 1:02 1:03 1:04 1:05 1:06 1:07 1:08 1:09 1:10 1:11 1:12 1:13 1:14 1:15 1:16 1:17 1:18 1:19 1:20 1:21 1:22 1:23 1:24 1:25 1:26 1:27 1:28 1:29 1:30 1:31 1:32 1:33 1:34 1:35 1:36 1:37 1:38 1:39 1:40 1:41 1:42 1:43 1:44 1:45 1:46 1:47 1:48 1:49 1:50 1:51 1:52 1:53 1:54 1:55 1:56 1:57 1:58 1:59 2:00 2:01 2:02 2:03 2:04 2:05 2:06 2:07 2:08 2:09 2:10 2:11 2:12 2:13 2:14 2:15 2:16 2:17 2:18 2:19 2:20 2:21 2:22 2:23 2:24 2:25 2:26 2:27 2:28 2:29 2:30 2:31 2:32 2:33 2:34 2:35 2:36 2:37 2:38 2:39 2:40 2:41 2:42 2:43 2:44 2:45 2:46 2:47 2:48 2:49 2:50 2:51 2:52 2:53 2:54 2:55 2:56 2:57 2:58 2:59 3:00 3:01 3:02 3:03 3:04 3:05 3:06 3:07 3:08 3:09 3:10 3:11 3:12 3:13 3:14 3:15 3:16 are the best parts.

All your feelings are okay, and I hope you express them in a comment, below.

All my okay feelings, here and now, include gratitude towards all those who helped me create today’s all-your-feelings-are-okay post and — of course! — YOU.

 

Day 2122: Spooky

These days, many things seem spooky to me, especially politics.

Do you see anything spooky in my photos from yesterday?

 

 

 

Oops!  Who knew that Boston Cream Pie was spooky?

This song is spooky.

I look forward to spooky comments, below.

No matter how spooky things are, I can still find gratitude, so thanks to all who helped me create this spooky post and — Boo! — to YOU.

Day 2121: Making noise

Is making noise making things better or worse? Today, I’m making noise about the fact that some news columnists are speculating that how the USA opposition party is making noise might be hurting their chances in the upcoming midterm election.

Lately, I’ve been making noise in my therapy groups, inviting people to be making noise when we do a mindfulness exercise that focuses on listening.  This is the noise I’m making when I introduce that exercise:

In this mindfulness exercise, we’re going to focus on the sense of hearing. After you hear the sound of the chime, do your best to listen to all the noises in the room. Feel free to make noise to make the exercise more interesting for other people.

That’s my attempt at making it safer for people to be making noise, since many of us can be self-conscious about the noises we’re making, especially when other people are listening.

I’ll be making noise soon with these Right & Wrong Buzzers:

Even though I’m often making noise about letting go of  unhelpful concepts of wrong and right, I’ll be making noise to encourage people to change old habits of thinking (including the cognitive distortions described here).

It’s okay to be making noise or to be silent about the other images I captured yesterday.

Because the wind was making so much noise yesterday, I didn’t go for my usual walk. Instead, I was making noise by making ukulele chords for  my latest original song “I’m Mad About You.”

With that song, I’m making noise about anger (especially towards politicians).

It’s time for me to be making noise about gratitude, so thanks to all who helped me create this “Making noise” post and — of course! — to YOU, for all the noises you’re making.