Day 2529: Floundering

Because I had even more resistance to taking photos yesterday than I did the day before,  I was floundering about what to call today’s post.

“Floundering” seems right, because:

• our leaders are floundering,
• our institutions are floundering,
• many people tell me they are floundering, and
• this is the only photo I took yesterday:

That’s flounder over a peach and ginger flavored coulis with cous cous and al dente vegetables.  Michael’s cooking is a good remedy for floundering (although not for the flounder).

Today, I’m going to meet Mayor Pete Buttgieg, who doesn’t seem to be floundering even though he is running a distant fourth to Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, and Bernie Sanders in the polls (and poll results were certainly floundering in our last Presidential election). And speaking of polls, I don’t understand why Cory Booker is floundering with such low polling numbers, either.  These days, I’m floundering to make sense of many things.

Here‘s “Floundering” by Carly Simon:

 

“She seems to be floundering again,” sings Carly Simon, but I’m not floundering about how to end this blog post.

 

Day 2406: The conversations you didn’t know you needed

“The conversations you didn’t know you needed” could be part of an advertisement for group therapy.

It’s also a phrase I photographed between my two “Coping and Healing” groups yesterday.

Did you know you needed these conversations?

 

What about these conversations?

If you need another look at my “poetic”  conversation about family (pictured a few conversations above), here it is:

I’m going to try to write a poem about family,

It’s probably not going to be very grammarly,

Families are where we are born,

They can make us happy or forlorn,

You can pick your nose but you can’t pick your family.

Here’s a recap of some other important conversations photographed above:

Ignore the environment, it will go away …

The best things in life aren’t things …

Don’t compare your insides to other people’s outsides.

Never worry alone.

If you need important conversations about this blog post, please participate below.

I don’t know about you, but I always need conversations about gratitude, so thanks to all who helped me create today’s post and — of course! — to YOU.

Day 2312: Big thinking

I’m thinking that it’s time for some big thinking, especially when there’s so much small thinking from big people.

Here’s what’s got me thinking about big thinking:

Let’s build on big thinking by avoiding small and petty thinking.

Do you see any big thinking in my other photos from yesterday?

Here‘s an animated book review of  The Magic of Thinking Big.

Here‘s “Thinking Big” by Alumo.

I’m looking forward to some big thinking in some small comments, below.

Big thanks to all who helped me create this big thinking post and — of course! — to YOU!

Day 2244: Frustration

Yesterday, when I was experiencing some frustration, I noticed that somebody had chosen to express that feeling via the emotions chart on my office door.

I wondered, “Who expressed that frustration?  Was it a patient or a staff person? Why are they feeling frustration?  Are they expressing that frustration to others?  Are they keeping the frustration to themselves?  Do they know they are not alone in feeling frustration?  How do they deal with frustration?” I felt some frustration that I did not know  — and probably would never know — the answers to my questions.

However, I can ask similar questions to you, my readers.

Are you feeling frustration these days?   Do you share your frustration or keep it to yourself?  How do you deal with frustration?

I am feeling frustration with our government, these days.  Am I alone in that frustration?

Also, people in therapy have been expressing frustration about their relationship with food, especially during and after the holidays. I suggest that people NOT beat themselves up about what they’re eating– that leads to greater frustration and more eating to comfort themselves.

In addition, last night at a Board meeting, some of us expressed frustration about ageism, and how people — even those who are sensitive in their use of language about other differences — make jokes about age all the time.  I remember feeling frustration about this when I was in Social Work graduate school, decades ago.  Of course, my frustration with this gets worse as I get older.

After the board meeting, one of the participants shared this video in an email:

Is anybody feeling frustration that I’m taking so long to share my other photos from yesterday?

 

Are people feeling frustration about any of those photos?  I’ll explain the last one — I bought a gelato-filled Panettone for the board meeting.   Nobody expressed frustration about that.

Feel free to express frustration or any other feelings or thoughts in a comment, below.

Thanks to all who helped me create this “frustration” post and to you — of course!

Day 2136: What are you going to do today?

What are you going to do today?

Are you going to think about blue waves?

 

 

Are you going to bitch about things?

Are you going to live your life as if it actually mattered?

Are you going to watch USA election returns with your own eyes?

Are you going to be a flamingo in a world full of pigeons?

Are you going to eat food that’s good for you?

 

Today, I am going to do all those things AND I am going to VOTE!  Who’s going to join me?

I’m also going to share VOTING — the latest opus by Randy Rainbow.

 

Are you going to comment on this post today?

Another thing I’m going to do today: Thank everybody who helped me create today’s post and — of course! — YOU.

 

 

Day 2029: Leave

While I’ve already written several previous blog posts with “Leave” in the title (here, here, here,  here, and here), I couldn’t leave well enough alone, mostly because

1. I want a certain world leader to make like a tree and  leave and
2. I heard this song yesterday morning:

Because I don’t like to leave everything up to chance, I asked my son — who is leaving soon for India and then Edinburgh — to help me create a relevant image for today’s post.

If you don’t like posts with lots of photos, you should leave now.  If you don’t leave, you might notice that many of yesterday’s photos have to do with today’s title, in one way or another.

When I think a meeting is bullshit, I want to leave.

Now that we’ve found our new home by the sea, I never want to leave.

My son Aaron will soon be leaving on a jet plane.

Batman probably wants to leave the cat shelter as soon as possible.

Because I need to leave the house soon, I’ll leave it up to you to notice the connections with “leave” in the rest of my photos.

 

I wonder how many readers will leave this post before all the photos load?

Before I leave my blogging for the day, I want to leave thanks for all who helped me create today’s post and — of course! — for YOU.

Day 2028: Comparisons

Not to make comparisons, but I’ve written at least two previous posts about the cognitive distortion of comparisons (here and here).

Comparisons.
We compare ourselves to others, with ourselves coming out short. For example, “I’m not as smart (or good, competent, good-looking, lovable, etc.) as that other person.” Or, we compare ourselves to how we think we should be, or how we’ve been before. We might think that comparisons help motivate us, but they usually make us feel worse.

Yesterday, in a therapy group, we focused on comparisons.

I believe the human mind is built to make comparisons, in order to make meaning of what’s around us.  However, when we compare ourselves to others, the resulting blows to our self-confidence and self-esteem can be beyond compare.

I’ve been making a different type of comparison lately.  I compare the blog posts I’ve written after and before the November 2016 USA presidential election and I see differences. Less joy.  Less hope.  Less confidence in the future.  Less faith in humans to be respectful and kind.

Some might compare me to a snowflake.  Personally, I don’t mind being compared to a snowflake — each one is beautiful, intricate, and unique.

Let’s see how the rest of my photos compare to the one I’ve included above.

When I search YouTube for “comparisons,” most of the results have to do with money and wealth — not particularly useful comparisons.

If we don’t realize all animals are beyond compare, we will continue to lose more and more to extinction.  Here’s a video showing comparisons of animal size:

The most recent comment on that video includes this: “Fake news.” I now compare my life to how it was before I heard that phrase so frequently.

Here‘s one result for “comparisons music.”

I look forward to comparisons in comments, below.

Now it’s time to compare  two ways of my expressing gratitude to all who helped me create another “comparisons” post and — of course! — to YOU.

Day 2006: I Can’t See Clearly Now

Even though “I Can See Clearly Now” is one of my favorite songs, I can’t see clearly now.

I can see clearly, now, the original lyrics:

Here are new lyrics for “I Can’t See Clearly Now””

I can’t see clearly now

There’s darkness here.

So many obstacles in our way.

It seems like everyone is acting blind.

When’s the next bright (bright) bright (bright) sun-shiney day?

When’s the next bright (bright) bright (bright) sun-shiney day?

 

I hope we can make it now

The pain is here.

All of these bad feelings have reappeared

Where is the rainbow I’ve been praying for?

When’s the next bright (bright) bright (bright) sun-shiney day?

 

Look all around, I don’t see blue skies.

Look straight ahead, I’m sighing some blue sighs.

 

I can’t see clearly now

There’s darkness there.

So many obstacles in our way.

Where are the the people so humane and kind?

When’s the next bright (bright) bright (bright) sun-shiney day?

When’s the next bright (bright) bright (bright) sun-shiney day?

Can you see clearly, now, my other photos for today?

 

 

 

Even though there’s not much left to take from that kristindudish.com heart, there’s still inspiration there. Let’s take what we need wherever we can find it.

I can see gratitude clearly here, always.