Day 3711: Guilty

When people in therapy talk about how guilty they feel, I often encourage them to throw guilt away in my “magic waste paper basket.” I don’t feel guilty about having a magic water paper basket nor about suggesting that people throw guilt away. My experience is that toxic perpetrators do not feel guilty at all while well-meaning and essentially good people do feel guilty about minor infractions and imperfections.

Here’s my magic waste paper basket …

… and don’t feel guilty about throwing away guilt in any receptacle you choose.

I am guilty of gathering all the images for today’s blog post and I don’t feel guilty about sharing any of them with you.

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My guilty pleasures include chocolate soufflé and the Daily Bitch calendar.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “guilty.”

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Thanks to all who help me feel less guilty, including YOU!

Day 3627: Work in Progress

Progressing to work at the hospital yesterday, I saw this sign:

I will pardon your appearance if you pardon mine, because we are all works in progress.

Do you see work in progress in my other images for the day?

Our bathroom renovation has been a work in progress for 18 months, but I haven’t lost my temper. I’m looking forward to progress today with several workers showing up.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “work in progress.”

Thanks to all who support this work-in-progress blog, including YOU.

Day 3606: Hope-scrolling

Last week, when I was looking for good news online about the USA midterm election, I made up the word “hope-scrolling.”

Hope-scrolling is the opposite of doomscrolling, which is defined here.

Therefore, hope-scrolling is spending screen time devoted to the absorption of positive news, which could result in helpful — or at least harmless — psychological responses.

The problem with hope-scrolling is encountering bad news along the way because (in case you haven’t noticed) most of the news online is bad.

As this daily blog approaches its 10-year anniversary, my hope is to keep it a place where it’s easy to do hope-scrolling, like (I hope) today.

On America Recycles Day and National Philanthropy Day, let’s see what I find when I search for “hope-scrolling” on YouTube.

Looks like I’m not the first to think about hope-scrolling!

Thanks to Present Moment Spoken Word and to all those who do hope-scrolling, including YOU.

Day 3529: Messages from the universe

Messages from the universe can appear anywhere, including a hospital gift shop.

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Messages from the universe can also appear on Twitter.

Do you see any messages from the universe in my other images for today?

Maybe you should hydrate more.

It’s a brand new day.

There is art everywhere.

There’s more than one way to commute to work.

I should really visit the Kennedy Library one of these days.

There are dangers and protections everywhere.

What the hell is happening to the United States? Is it strong enough to endure? And, it sure is windy around here.

Maybe I should stop captioning these images and let you see your own messages from the universe.

Messages from the universe are encouraging me to visit a beach, be aware of my grief for those I loved and lost, and remember all those delicious toasted marshmallows.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “messages from the universe.”

I also find this:

Thanks to all who send and receive messages from the universe, including YOU!

Day 3477: Decisions, Decisions

I’m pretty sure I’ve written other blog posts about decisions, decisions because making decisions can be difficult for me.

Some people have decided that decisions, decisions can be especially challenging for people who are Perceivers (rather than the Judgers) on a Myers-Briggs scale.

One of my decisions about decisions is that there often isn’t one right or wrong decision. All-or-nothing thinking puts too much pressure on decisions, decisions.

At the same time, a series of bad, thoughtless decisions, decisions can have global consequences, like climate change.

Do you see decisions, decisions in my images for today?

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The National Day Calendar people are offering only two decisions, decisions today.

I’m making a decision, decision to share this result from searching YouTube for “decisions, decisions.”

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So many decisions, decisions to make as I create this daily blog, but I always decide to end each post with gratitude for YOU!

Day 3249: What are you reading?

What are you reading, besides this blog?

I’m reading this …

… and finding it very helpful, including this excerpt:

The words I remember were: The boundary to what we can accept is the boundary to our freedom. During the silence that followed, memories flashed through my mind revealing how much I had been defended against. I could feel the walls I had erected to keep out those people who were different from me, those who intimidated me or demanded too much from me. I recognized my aversion to physical discomfort, to feeling fear and loneliness. I realized how unforgiving I felt toward myself for hurting others, for being judging, obsessive, selfish.

What are you reading into that and the other images in today’s post?

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I’m reading into people’s responses these days that there is a great need for grieving and healing.

This is what I find on YouTube when I search for “what are you reading?”

I look forward to reading your comments, below.

Thanks to all who read this blog, including YOU!

Day 3235: Be mindful

“Be mindful” is good advice and is something I saw on a sign yesterday near work.

Because I try to be mindful of people I love, I want to wish my friend and co-worker Jan a happy birthday!

Let’s be mindful of all the riches around us.

Let’s be mindful about self care, shall we?

What else is there to be mindful about? What helps you to be mindful?

When I search YouTube for “be mindful,” I find this …

… and this:

Be mindful of the comments section, below.

Finally, be mindful of how grateful I am that you show up here, exactly the way you do.

Day 3186: I do what I want!

Ever since we adopted Joan — our kitty who was found on the streets of Tennessee with her siblings and many kittens — my husband Michael has been “speaking” for Joan by saying, in a high Southern-accented voice, “I do what I want!”

Joan does what she wants by

• chasing our other cat Harley around the house,
• sitting where she wants to sit,
• playing when she wants to play,
• sleeping when and where she wants to sleep, and
• generally, being cat.

Joan does what she wants within the confines of wearing a cone …

… as her skin infection heals. Actually, if she was really doing what she wants, she wouldn’t be wearing that damned cone, but she’s doing just fine.

“I do what I want” is also what many humans say as they get older and wiser. I discovered this, again, when I tweeted this yesterday:

Many people on Twitter agreed with me and shared how they do what they want, more and more, as they get older. Somebody actually responded with this:

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Here are some other responses:

I do what I want when I create this daily blog, so I want to share the photos I took yesterday at work and at home. You do what you want with these:

The Daily Bitch does what she wants. Do you?

I do what I want and I want to see what I find when I search YouTube for “I do what I want.”

I do what I want and I also want to include some music here. Here’s “Do What You Want” from OK Go.

I do what I want and I always want to end these posts with gratitude for all who visit this blog, including YOU!

Day 2584: Incredible life moments

Last night, after spending many incredible life moments at work and at home, I watched An American in Paris with these incredible life moments:

Comments from you are incredible life moments for me.

Thanks to all who help me share incredible life moments in this blog, including YOU.

Day 2570: Antisocial

Is it antisocial to think,  every once in a while, “I’m so done with everyone and everything”?

Here’s a definition of “antisocial” I found on social media:

an·ti·so·cial
/ˌan(t)ēˈsōSHəl,ˌanˌtīˈsōSHəl/
adjective

1. contrary to the laws and customs of society; devoid of or antagonistic to sociable instincts or practices.
“a dangerous, unprincipled, antisocial type of man”
Similar:
objectionable
offensive
beyond the pale
unacceptable
unsocial
asocial
distasteful
disruptive
disorderly
lawless
rebellious
sociopathic
2. not sociable; not wanting the company of others.

I would say that, sometimes, I’m  not wanting the company of others, especially if they’re objectionable, offensive, beyond the pale, unacceptable unsocial, asocial, distasteful, disruptive, disorderly, lawless, rebellious, or sociopathic.

Does that make me antisocial?

Let’s see what my Daily Bitch Calendar says:

Are these other photos antisocial?

Even on days when I’m feeling a little antisocial, I also feel anti-antisocial or, more simply, social.

I don’t want to seem antisocial, but I need to end this antisocial post in order to get to work on time.

Before I do, here’s some antisocial music.

 

I’m never too antisocial to express my thanks to all who help me create and share this daily blog, including YOU.