Day 2722: What you choose to see

There is so much, too much to see within ourselves and all around us. Therefore, we make choices about what we choose to see.

What you choose to see depends upon your experience, your current state, important relationships, and many other factors.

What do you choose to see in my photos from yesterday?

 

Here‘s “I Am As You Choose to See Me” — a TED Talk by Farah Yasmine Shakir.

I choose to see all the comments you choose to leave, below.

I hope you choose to see the gratitude here, for YOU.

Day 2244: Are we having fun yet?

“Are we having fun yet?” was something I expressed several times yesterday, as I

• started packing for my trip to L.A.,
• grappled with money issues,
• added a new verse to a song,
• dealt with hurt feelings,
• talked to people about hope and hopelessness,
• had the self control to have the soup instead of the very fun-looking and highly caloric  pasta dish in the hospital cafeteria,
• couldn’t find my folder filled with group therapy worksheets and exercises,
• glanced at the news, and
• facilitated two groups, one of which focused on fun.

Are we having fun yet in today’s blog post?

Are we having fun yet as we try to read my handwriting in today’s photos?

Are we having fun yet as I share this story about when I decided to have fun earlier this week?

Wednesday morning, after my second night in a row of insomnia, I looked at the weather app on my iPhone to decide how to dress for the day.  I saw that the day was going to start out cold but become considerably warmer, so I decided to wear a very light coat.  When I was driving to work, I looked at the app again and noticed that I had been looking at the weather for Cupertino, California, instead of the weather for Boston, Massachusetts, which was going to start cold and stay that way.  I decided to have fun with it, so I laughed instead of complaining whenever I felt the cold.

Are we having fun yet trying to guess what music I’m going to share in today’s post?

YouTube suggests that I share this one:

 

Are you having fun yet?  If not, how might you have more fun today?  Would it help to leave a fun comment?

Have I expressed my gratitude yet for all those who helped me create this are-we-having-fun-yet post and — of course — for YOU?

 

Day 2202: If you have to choose between being kind and being right

Yesterday, at Walt Disney World, to be kind to ourselves, we had to choose to stay in our hotel rooms, recovering from food poisoning or some sort of virus.  If I have to choose which we were all suffering from, I’m not sure which is right, because I’m a therapist, not a doctor.

If I have to choose a featured image for today’s post, it would be this:

If I have to choose great people to travel with, I would always include my kind niece Laura, who had to choose a t-shirt on Wednesday that says

If you have to choose between being kind and being right,

Choose being kind and you will always be right

If I have to choose new photos to share today, here they are:

If I have to choose, these days, whether the television is on or off, it’s kinder to myself to leave it off.

Right?

If you have to choose between being kind and being right in a comment below,  choose being kind and you will always be right.

Day 2046: You choose

We choose so many times on any chosen day, whether or not we’re aware of those choices.

I choose “You choose” as today’s title because I saw this, yesterday:

You choose while so many people are trying to influence how you choose.  You choose, but how do you know if you choose well?

I choose

• to write a daily blog,
• to share photos,

• to dream,

• to travel to new places like Iceland, and
• to search YouTube for relevant videos.

“Who is the most stupid here?”  was one of the top two choices in my YouTube search for “You choose” and has 5.8 million views. Do you choose to believe that “Who is the most stupid here?” explains your personality?

Would you choose “I Choose You” by Sara Bareilles?

I chose that. What song would you choose for today’s post?

You choose what comment you want to leave.

I choose to end this blog post with gratitude to all, including YOU.

Day 1957: Choices

In every therapy group I facilitate, people have choices about how they participate and about what topic we choose to focus on.  Yesterday, the group members had many choices and decided on the topic “choices.”

My choices of photos, above, include only what I chose to reveal in group.  My handwriting is not choice, so I choose to type my choices of what I shared.

What is your personal experience of choices?

I like having choices.

What helps with choices?

Self-care.

Realizing what the choices are.

Checking out choices with others.

Self-confidence.

Realizing I’ve made good choices before.

Recognizing that most choices are not irrevocable.

Before the group, I made these photographic choices:

Are my photographic choices good enough?

Many people I know feel guilt, shame, and regret about choices they’ve made in the past. I invite them to make these choices, moving forward:

• Recognize that they were doing the best they could at the time and
• Forgive themselves.

As always, there are many choices of songs to share.

You have the choice to make any comment you choose.

As always, my choices for ending a blog post include thanks to all who helped me create it and — of course! —  to YOU, for making the choice to visit here, today.

Day 1805: Questionable Choices

As I look around, I see many people making questionable choices.

Is it a questionable choice for me to share my first photo from yesterday?

I made some questionable choices yesterday, including using Gorilla Glue to reattach my lost-and-found necklace piece.  However, after questioning the internet, I made choices to effectively remove the excess glue from my fingers and from the repaired necklace.

Are any of my other photos from yesterday questionable choices?

Last night, one of my unquestionable choices, Michael, showed me a short film from the NY Cat Film Festival about a man who has made choices some might find questionable. I hope you make the choice to watch this:

It’s not a questionable choice to thank Michael, Ian Christopher Goodman, Akamatsu the Cat, Harley the cat, Hallmark Cards, seaside locations,  the internet, and — of course! — you, for choosing to visit here, now.

Day 1747: Supplies you need

In order for me to generate a daily supply of blog posts, I need inspiration from what I see around me.

Apparently, nobody needs supplies there. However, I need supplies of

• kindness,
• consideration,
• respect,
• safety,
• honesty,
• love,
• awareness,
• humor,
• nourishment,
• friendship,
• engagement,
• rest,
• acceptance,
• choice,
• connection,
• self esteem,
• confidence,
• support,
• sunshine,
• nature,
• music, and
• macaroni & cheese on Fridays.

What supplies do you need?

Here’s a supply of more photos, which I need to share:

 

I also need a yearly supply of “So You Think You Can Dance,” which I choose to attend in Boston this evening. Lex, the winner of this year’s competition, has an amazing supply of incredible moves (seen here and here on YouTube):

I also need a daily supply of comments from my readers.

Finally, I have an endless supply of gratitude for the supplies I’ve been given and — of course! — for you.

 

 

Day 1395: The Choice is Clear

Yesterday, the choice was clear that I needed to take this picture:

It’s clear that nobody should choose to try to clear that  barbed wire fence.  Also,  the choice is clear in the upcoming vote of the next U.S. president.  But is the choice ALWAYS clear?

As I chose to write yesterday, when the choice is NOT clear, that can be painful. This morning, I choose to believe that unclear choices, over time, will become clear enough for me to choose well enough.

The choice is clear! I clearly need to trust my ability to choose, even if it takes me some time to clear my way to the better choice.

If I asked you to choose a favorite from the 30-something other photos I chose to take yesterday, would the choice be clear? And if the choice isn’t clear, what will  you do?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday, the choice was clear for me to post that last photo on Facebook with this caption:  “Scarred for life and happy about it.”

Because I’m going to see An American in Paris  in a Boston theater tonight with my friend Barbara, my musical choice is clear today:

 

If you’ve chosen to read my blog before, it’s clear that I choose to end each post with thanks to all  who help me create it  and to you — of course! — for choosing to join me, here and now.

Day 1065: Your choice

Yesterday, at the end of a day when I had previously chosen not to take photos, I saw this:

It was my choice to turn my car around and choose that image for today’s post.

“Your choice” triggered lots of associations, including the following (which I choose to share).

I believe it is my choice, every day, to choose:

• kindness towards others,
• kindness towards myself,
• the people in my life,
• what words I use,
• the music I hear,
• the ways I heal,
• the support I give,
• the food I eat,
• appreciation for the present moment,
• life,
• hope,
• reality,
• acceptance,
• forgiveness,
• joy whenever possible,
• my  post titles, and
• blogging every day.

After choosing “Your Choice” for today’s image, I also choose these photos:

Now, it’s your choice what choice to choose next.

It’s my choice to thank those who give us room to choose, lights in the darkness, and you — of course! — for your choice to visit here, today.

Day 273: The Show About Everything

I told some people I love, yesterday, when we were in the middle of the home stretch of a “Breaking Bad” marathon, that my punchline about the show was this:

While

was The Show About Nothing,

“Breaking Bad” was the The Show About Everything.

Here’s one random thought, this Monday morning,  about The Show About Everything:

People are hungry for great stories, about interesting people who change.

.

Here are just  a few of the themes I noticed, over the weekend, in The Show About Everything:

Secrets/Revelations

Lying/Telling the truth

Trauma/Healing

Everything we do affects others, in ways we often cannot predict.

There is bad and good in all of us.

.

The moment that is lingering for me, right now, after watching every episode, except for one*?

Walt, finally, saying something like this:

What I did, I did for myself.  I liked it. I was good at it.

.

After the show was over, I said, to anybody who might have been listening at that point, “See?  Do what you love. Do what you’re good at.”

I assumed that I didn’t need to add something like this, “Of course, you need to make better choices than Walt did.”

I’m sure they know that, by now.

Okay!  I’ve got to go to work. (Not to cook, but to listen to stories.)

Thanks to those who do what they love, to people who have both good and bad in them, and to everybody making choices today. And many thanks to you, for being here.

___________________________________________

* I skipped watching “Rabid Dog,” on the advice of practically everybody.