Day 2160: Danger

When you’ve been blogging as long as I have, there’s always a danger you might repeat yourself.  And on May 12, 2016, I published a post also titled “Danger” (which is allowed here in The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally).

In that post, there was a drawing of a fish committing suicide. However, nature seems to be in much more danger now than it was in May, 2016.

Because I’m in danger of being late for work, I’ll quickly share yesterday’s photos, which include danger and also some ways to deal with danger.

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Here‘s ‘Danger’ dance practice, featuring the  “South Korean boy band” BTS.

I’m in danger of assuming that there are no North Korean boy bands.

I hope you know there is no danger involved if you leave a comment, below.

There’s also no danger in expressing thanks to all who help me create this daily blog and — of course — to YOU.

 

Day 2159: What’s allowed

Because I often think about what’s allowed in this world, I just searched WordPress for any previous posts I might have written on this subject, because that’s allowed.

I can now allow, aloud, that I was surprised that the only post WordPress allowed in that “What’s allowed” search was Day 717: Interrupting.  Four years ago, I allowed myself to write that looooong post (which features, doctors, cows, and lots of interrupting) when I was dealing with some very confusing medical issues.  Writing about those medical issues daily and receiving helpful and supportive feedback from my readers allowed me to navigate through them.  Thank goodness all that was allowed.

So, what allowed WordPress to find a connection between “What’s Allowed” and “Interrupting” today?   I am allowing myself to speculate that interrupting, according to WordPress, is something that’s allowed. Therefore, I’m allowing myself to interrupt this post to share my photos from yesterday.

According to those photos, it’s allowed to

• get irritated with technology (and other things),
• dress animals in outfits,
• be welcoming,
• gobble until you wobble,
• use cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia,
• make it all work,
• spend four days in Fenway, and
• appreciate Prince …

… but it’s NOT allowed to go into stores with animals and bare feet (although maybe bare other things are allowed).

Sharing music is allowed, so here’s Prince with I Would Die 4 U.

While I wouldn’t exactly die 4 u to comment, I hope u know that all your thoughts and feelings about what’s allowed are allowed in the comments section, below.

Gratitude is always allowed here, so thanks to all who allowed me to create today’s post and — of course! — to YOU.

Day 2158: “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”

If  my post title today irritates you or leads you to an understanding of yourself or others, let’s give the credit to Carl Jung.

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”

… is displayed on the front of the packaging for the Carl Jung action figure in my office.

Whenever I share that quote with others, they seem to understand.

How do you understand that quote from Carl Jung, my understanding readers?

These days, several things are irritating me about others, which means I have an unprecedented opportunity to understand myself!  I’m going to celebrate that by sharing some other recent photos (which may be an irritating habit of mine, which I hope you understand).

It’s not how old you are, it’s how you keep learning to understand yourself and others.

Here are 10 additional quotes from Carl Jung, which can lead to more understanding.

I hope you understand my gratitude for all who helped me create today’s post and — of course! — for YOU.

 

P.S. After I published this post, I realized it was irritatingly similar to this one, from August 2017. I hope you understand!

Day 2157: What do you require?

Here and now, what do you require?

Wines? Vines? Whines? Madness?  Wisdom?  Being watched over? Lucidity? Poets? Lovers?  Helpful quotes?  Art?  Artists?  ACCURATE SPELLING?

 

Tea?  Compassion? Advice?  Never being wrong?

 

Celebrating?  Cats?  Being like a cat?

 

 

Cool socks?  Giving?  Receiving?

 

A perfect world?

 

Blessings?  An angel by your side?

 

Encouragement? Compliments?  Niceness? Puns?

 

 

100% reality?  Feeling special?

 

Affirmations?  Magic? More quality time with people you love?

 

Do you require more sleep?  I do and this video shows up when I search YouTube for “What do you require”:

 

Do you require thanks for reading my blog?

Day 2156: Three of my favorite words?

Post title inspiration?

Greeting card front:

Three-word phrases:

 

Have a favorite?

I love walking.  Three little photos:

 

Three Little Words:

I love Ella.

Your favorite words? Probably not these:

Click on links.  People hate “moist.”

Two more photos!

Day 2155: Try me

Let’s try on this definition of “Try me” from The Free Dictionary:

Try me

Also found in: Wikipedia.

Try me.
Ask me.; Give me a chance.

A: I don’t suppose you know what the Achaean League is. B: Try me.

I don’t suppose you know what the Achaean League is, because I don’t either.  However, ask me and give me a chance to show you why I’ve chosen “Try me” for today’s post title.

I didn’t try that moisturizer at MiAlisa Salon yesterday, but I did try to take other photos, which involved trying things.

I tried on some new socks and leggings yesterday morning, despite reading an online article, “What Middle Aged Women Should Not Wear” which included patterned socks and leggings. Try as I might, I can’t find that article today. Also, I’m past middle age, so maybe it’s not so bad if I keep trying those things. However, that combination might be particularly trying.

There’s my friend Deb, trying to pick up leaves in her back yard. Do you want more information about those yellow leaf-picker-uppers?  Try me.  If I don’t know, I can always try to ask Deb.

Here are other images I tried to capture yesterday:

I enjoy images that show people trying new things, including crafts like mosaic quilting and flameworking. If you’re trying too hard to read some of those pictures, try clicking on them to make them larger.

Do you know what season it is around here?  Try me.

As I try to finish up today’s blog post, I’m going to try to share what else is on my mind.  I do want people to try me — to ask me and give me a chance.   I try to convey that as best as I can.  Sometimes I might try too hard and perhaps people find that trying. Also, I can find it trying, sometimes, to try to ask others for what I need.

Do you have questions about all this?  Try me.

Here‘s “Try Me” by James Brown.

 

Do you want to know how much gratitude I have for all those who helped me create today’s blog post and for you?  Try me.

 

Day 2154: Find your happy

I find my happy when I find happy titles for my blog posts.

I find my happy more easily

• with encouragement,
• paying attention,
• noticing and making connections,
• sharing observations,
• letting go of shame,
• keeping warm,
• embracing adventure,
• dancing, and
• photographing rather than purchasing items I don’t need.

 

 

I find this on YouTube:

I hope to find my happy in Hawaii, some day.   For now, I’m finding my happy in Boston and in Scotland.

I also find  “Find Your Happy Place” on YouTube (although most people haven’t found this — it is has only 50 views). 

 

How and where do you find your happy?

I also find my happy expressing gratitude and thanks for all who help me create these blog posts and for those who are happy to read them (including YOU).

 

Day 2153: I’m a ______, not a __________.

I’m a Star Trek fan, not a collector, and I recognized Dr. Leonard McCoy’s trademark phrase on a glass at a Thanksgiving celebration yesterday.

I’m a psychotherapist, not a doctor, and I recognize that it’s important how we define ourselves by what we are and what we are not.

I’m a blogger, not a bricklayer, and here are the other photos I took yesterday:

I’m an amateur photographer, not a graphic designer, so click on any of the above photos if you want to see them better.

I’m a questioner, not an answerer (for now), so can you identify what people were and weren’t at that Thanksgiving celebration yesterday, just by looking at those pictures?

I’m a music fan, not a professional musician and I’m sharing Elvis Presley singing two things he is (here and here) and one thing he is not (here).

I’m a curious person, not a pushy one, so might you please share something you are and something you are not in a comment, below?

I’m a grateful human being, not an ungrateful one, so thanks to Michael’s siblings who hosted Thanksgiving celebrations, Elvis Presley, Star Trek, everyone else who helped me create today’s blog post and — of course! —  YOU.

Day 2152: Today is …

Today is …

• the anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination,
• the anniversary of my first heart surgery and my first pacemaker, at age 10,
• the birthday of a wonderful woman named Jean who reads this blog (Happy Birthday, Jean!), and
• Thanksgiving in the USA!

Today is a great day to give thanks and to share these photos, taken yesterday.

Today is a day to share this: we may rant and rave at the passage of time, but it’s good to be in the moment — today and every day!

Today is the day I discovered Today is master-class:  how to paint a cat.

 

Today is a day for giving thanks to all who help me create these blog posts and to you — of course! — for reading them.

Day 2151: Energy

One thousand, nine hundred, and seven days ago (but who has the energy to count?), I wrote a post titled Day 244: Positive Energy.   The post was about my dear relative, Diane, who exudes and sends positive energy.

I have the energy to notice that, back then  (five years ago!), I didn’t have the energy or the wherewithal to share my own photos in this blog. Now that I’ve practiced taking photos and sharing their energy through years of blogging, it takes little or no energy to share these three  photos from yesterday:

Yesterday, in a therapy group, we had the energy to explore our personal experience of energy, what gets in the way of having more energy, and what helps energize us.

I had the energy to take a photo of  the first part of my answer to the question of “What is your personal experience of energy?”   Do you have the energy to read that answer, above?

Today I have the energy to answer this question: “What gets in the way of you having more energy?”

• Lack of self-care.
• Cognitive distortions like comparisons, blaming, shoulds, negative filter, black and white thinking, fortune-telling, catastrophizing, and mind-reading.  (If you have the energy to go there, a full list of cognitive distortions is here.)
• Procrastination (mine and other people’s).
• Worry.
• Judgment.
• Shame.
• Fear.
• The news.
• Difficult people.

However, I don’t have the energy to remember all the other things I listed yesterday.

What helps energize me?

• Self-care.
• Reframing cognitive distortions (for a list of energizing “antidotes” for unhelpful thoughts,  go here.)
• Nature.
• Good people.
• Animals.
• Helpful phrases like “You have all the time you need,” “You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be,” and “You’re doing the best you can.”
• Walking.
• Blogging.
• Music (here, here, here, here, here, here, and here on YouTube).

Do you have the energy to make a comment?

I definitely have the energy to thank all  who helped me create this Energy post and — of course!!!!! — YOU.