Day 2066: What I’m not saying

What I’m not saying, here and now, includes many things, because I still have laryngitis.

However, I’m returning to work today, where I will do my best to encourage people to share in therapy what they’re not saying elsewhere in their lives.

Here’s a partial list of what I’m not saying:

• Some people scare me.
• I sometimes fear other people’s anger as well as my own anger.
• I miss my son (who is attending University in Edinburgh) and my late friend Michelle.
• I’m glad to be home.
• When I’m away from work for vacation, I fear  I’ve forgotten what I need to know to be a good therapist.
• When I name my fears, they seem more manageable.
• If I’m confused, I can take a breath and some time to choose the next right thing to do.
• I used to have recurring dreams of not being able to speak.
• Communicating effectively is very important to me.
• I will do my best to say things non-verbally today.

Whenever I put what I’m not saying into words, I feel better. See how it works?

Let’s see what I’m saying and not saying in my photos from yesterday.

 

 

What I’m not saying about that last picture includes this:

1. I’ve had that little book since I attended Berklee in the summer when I was in high school.
2. Those notations include the melody line and some chords for my fourth original song, “Shameless Appeals for Applause.”
3. When I was on a boat in Iceland recently, the man standing next to me was saying that he was proud of his son, who had recently graduated from Berklee.

What I’m not saying includes the fact that in the 1990s, I helped create Berklee College of Music’s recruitment video.  What I’m not saying is that I haven’t figured out a way to share that video here.

I’m not saying which of these “I’m Not Sayin'” performances I like best.

I’m not saying that those are three different songs but I am saying that I found all three on YouTube here, here, and here.

I’m not saying who wrote that song but you can find that out here.

What I’m not saying, until now, includes saying thanks to Gordon Lightfoot, The Replacements, Nico, Oscar, Harley, Berklee, Iceland, all those who are healing the best they can, and — of course! — YOU.

Day 2064: Kose seg

Yesterday, when I was sitting on an airplane, thinking about promoting emotional well being in cozy settings, I saw this:

When I am experiencing and promoting emotional well being, I often take one photo that somehow applies to all the other photos I want to share in a blog post. I hope you are in a cozy (or cosy) setting as you look at all these other promoting-emotional-well-being pictures.

What helps you experience Kose seg?

My boyfriend Michael often says, “It’s not the place, Ann,  it’s the people.”  Here’s a closer look at a person with whom I’ve been hopefully  promoting emotional well being in cozy settings for over twenty years:

That’s my son Aaron, looking out the window of Edinburgh’s Beehive Inn while he was in the middle of his stand-up routine yesterday. When he noticed I was sitting outside in the cozy setting of Edinburgh’s Grassmarket with my suitcase, he had the entire audience yell, “Hi Mom!”

Now that I’m experiencing Kose seg back in my home south of Boston, it would promote my emotional well being to share two videos promoting Iceland and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (here and here on YouTube).

 

I shall now await your comments promoting emotional well being in the cozy comments section, below.

Emotional-well-being-promoting thanks to all who helped me create today’s “Kose seg” post and — of course! — to YOU.

 

Day 2055: I’m Here

I’m Here in Edinburgh for the Fringe Festival and so are many other people, including actors, improv artists, musicians, and stand-up comedians, like the guy who inspired today’s blog title.

I don’t know Glenn Doncaster, even though he is “… what the Edinburgh Fringe is all about.” No matter what else Glenn does in his life, he’s helped me find my blog post title for today by putting “I’m Here” on the back of his Fringe flyer.

I’m here and so are others.

That’s my son Aaron and his friend Camilla meeting me at the Edinburgh Airport yesterday. Camilla has been here in my blog before. She told me yesterday that after she found out about my blog from Aaron, she decided to pick a blog post to read and — much to her amazement — found a photo of herself, as the beggar woman in a 2015 production of Sweeney Todd at the Fringe.

I’m here to tell you that synchronicity and coincidences like that help make life even more beautiful and rich.

I’m here to try to find that old blog post. I was not successful. I’m here to tell you it’s okay not to succeed sometimes.

(I’m also here to tell you, eleven days after I published this post and am back home in Boston, that I was able to search for the post with Camilla’s photo and link to it, both in the paragraph above and also here.)

I’m here to share other recent photos with all my readers who are here, now, too.

I’m here with my son and I couldn’t be happier.

I’m here to thank all who helped me create this post and — of course! — all my readers, who are here with me now.

Day 2053: Peace & Quiet

In an Iceland hotel, instead of demanding “Do Not Disturb,” one politely asks for “Peace & Quiet.”

I think we all deserve some Peace & Quiet these days, especially with all the noise in the news.

Do you see any Peace and/or Quiet in my other photos from yesterday?

I’m off for another day of Peace, Quiet, & Dramatic Scenery in Iceland.

Peace, Quiet, & Thanks to all who helped me create today’s blog post and — of course! — to you.

Day 2052: Take the pledge

Yesterday, I saw this request to take the Icelandic Pledge.

I like that pledge. Will you take other pledges with me?

I pledge to treat others as I wish to be treated.

I pledge to look for beauty and humanity wherever I go and share it with others.

What pledge would you take?

I also pledge to blog every day as best I can and to NOT stress out when I encounter (usually temporary) problems along the way.

Finally, I pledge gratitude to all who help me create these posts and — of course! — to YOU.

Day 2051: Meet Mother Nature at her Fiercest

When I see “Meet Mother Nature at her Fiercest” these days, I inevitably think of the scary effects of global warming, like the wildfires raging in California right now. However, when you see “Meet Mother Nature at her Fiercest” when you’re in Iceland, it refers to geothermal phenomena like geysers and naturally heated pools.

However, when you see “Meet Mother Nature at her Fiercest” at Ann’s blog, it could mean many things.

What do you think of when you see “Meet Mother Nature at her Fiercest”?

Feel free to leave a Fierce comment below.

Natural gratitude from Iceland to all those who helped me create this “Meet Mother Nature at her Fiercest” post and — of course! — to you, my Fierce and/or Natural readers.

Day 2050: WOW

WOW! We just arrived in Iceland via WOW airlines.

Do you see any WOW moments here?

WOW! There’s a Dunkin’ Donuts in the Iceland Airport. That reminds me of my WOW hometown of Boston.

I was WOWed by my conversation with my LYFT driver to Boston’s Logan Airport, Johnny.

We are now on our way to be WOWed by the beautiful Blue Lagoon.

WOW! I’m successfully publishing my first blog post from Iceland.

WOW thanks to all who helped me create today’s WOW post and to my readers, who continue to WOW me!

Day 2049: Self Acceptance

Yesterday, myself and several other selves discussed “Self Acceptance” in a therapy group.

All the selves in that group agreed that “Self Acceptance” is an important topic and something that people need to practice, practice, practice.

Here and now, I’m practicing self acceptance as I make decisions about what to pack for my trips to Iceland and Edinburgh.  I will accept myself whether or not I bring along my ukulele and/or my laptop.

I am also practicing self acceptance about the other photos I took yesterday.

 

Here‘s a Billy Joel song about self acceptance:

Self acceptance and gratitude now!

 

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 2035: How to Change “OW!” to “WOW!”

Yesterday, I changed “OW!” to “WOW!”

HOW!?

Note that I changed “OW!” to “WOW!”

• with one letter,
• in one second,
•  doing my best, and
• letting go of self-doubt.

Do any of today’s photos change “OW!” to “WOW!”?

Flowers,  cats, gelato, beautiful architecture, walks by the ocean, my son Aaron, and my boyfriend Michael all help me change “OW!” to “WOW!”

In two days, my son is leaving home (OW!) to travel to India and then to Edinburgh (WOW!).

In less than a week, I’ll be debuting my third original song (WOW!) at an Open Mic, and that song will feature many sounds including “OW!” and “WOW!”

In less than a month, I’ll be flying (OW!) on WOW Air  to Iceland (WOW!).

Here‘s “Wow” by the Lennie Tristano Sextet:

Music I love always changes “OW!” to “WOW!”

Any comment from you changes “OW!” to “WOW!” and so does gratitude.

WOW!