“No worries” is a phrase that originated in Australia. I have no worries, this morning, about …
writing my third blog post titled “no worries” in four and a half years of blogging,
linking to those previous blog posts here and here,
people with great expectations perhaps preferring my earlier posts to this one,
taking my time responding to others,
remembering to take my medication,
losing things,
being on vacation, and
snapping photos wherever and whenever I can.
I have no worries that one of the excellent comedians shown above has a congenital heart condition and that we showed each other our open-heart surgery scars in public. I also have no worries that two of the lovely people portrayed in the photos above are from Australia and say “no worries” instead of “you’re welcome.”
I have no worries about giving you more details in this blog post because
Yesterday, in a therapy group, somebody said, “We’re still alive.” Since that phrase felt very alive to me, I wrote it on my white board, where it still is.
I heard and wrote that shortly before I found out that Carrie Fisher was no longer alive, when I read this on Facebook: “We lost a Jedi.”
I still believe it’s important, every day, to remember we’re still alive, because eventually every one of us will be still.
Here‘s the best song for this post — Stephen Sondheim’s “I’m Still Here” from Carrie Fisher’s Postcards from the Edge:
I often sing that song when I walk around, still alive, and see scenes like this:
Which images are still alive, for you?
I’m very grateful we’re still alive as I thank all who helped me create this post and you — of course — for still being here.
What is the inspiration for today’s blog post title?
It’s this card, which the inspiring Carla from cardiac rehab wrote for me, yesterday:
That is the inspiration for me to share this definition for “inspiration.”
in·spi·ra·tion
ˌinspəˈrāSH(ə)n/
noun
1. the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.
“Helen had one of her flashes of inspiration”
synonyms: creativity, inventiveness, innovation, ingenuity, genius, imagination, originality
2. the drawing in of breath; inhalation.
As you draw in your next breath, pause a minute and think about this:
What is the inspiration for you?
That question is the inspiration for me to list some inspirations, here and now:
My late parents.
My son Aaron.
My boyfriend Michael.
My family.
My friends.
Other kind people I encounter, every day.
My work.
My patients.
The beauty I see all around me.
Music.
Things that make me laugh.
Bravery in others.
Writing.
My readers.
Delicious and healthy food.
Self care.
Nature.
Animals.
My doctors.
Hope for the future.
Acceptance of what is.
Faith in myself and others
Learning new things.
Home.
Taking time to heal.
My iPhone camera.
One thing I photographed yesterday was the inspiration for Carla from Cardiac Rehab to talk, non-stop, for several minutes. Can I inspire you to guess what inspired her so?
Carla’s inspiration was …
.
.
.
.
.
.
… Mort, the hedgehog, who is riding high in a surgical mask, who always wears that hat, who gets dressed up in various outfits, and who, one morning, was all packed to go to Las Vegas but “he missed his flight.” Nevertheless, Mort is the still the inspiration for many inspiring people who attend cardiac rehab at Mount Auburn Hospital.
What is the inspiration for my musical selection this morning? I just searched YouTube for “inspiration music” and found this:
I’m hoping this post is the inspiration for you to leave a comment, below.
For all the inspirations who helped me create today’s post and for you — of course! — here’s one more inspiration from yesterday:
Whenever you’ve had a harrowing experience, it helps to plan for the near future, especially if you focus on what you adore.
For example, exactly two weeks ago today I had major heart surgery which was, honestly, pretty harrowing. So it’s helping me to plan for and focus on the near future, which includes:
My college roommate, Maria, whom I adore, flying in from Portland Oregon, which I adore, to stay with me and my boyfriend Michael, whom I adore, for eight days.
An appointment this afternoon with my Primary Care Physician, Dr. Laura Snydman, whom I adore.
Getting a ride to my doctor’s visit this afternoon from my sister, Ellen, whom I adore.
Seeing Mel Brooks, whom I adore, in person in a few weeks, accompanied by my neighbor Karen, whom I adore.
Attending a performance of “An American in Paris,” which I adore, the following week with my friend Barbara, whom I adore.
It also helps to look at the near past, especially when my progress is so encouraging, which I adore. For example, last night — for the first time since my surgery — I went for a short walk outside alone, which I adored. Here’s what I saw:
In your near future, you could plan to adore this post even more, as I show you other pictures from yesterday of things I adore:
Here‘s the music I am listening to as I write this near-future post, which I adore:
Is there a comment in my near future, which I would adore?
I adore everybody and everything that helped me create this near-future post and also you — of course! — for including me in your near future.
Because I’m a psychotherapist, every time I turn myself around I encounter somebody wanting to turn themselves around, towards health and a better life.
Yesterday, I turned myself around at work and saw this:
Later that day, during a turn-yourself-around therapy group, I turned myself around to describe how our lives turn around and around and around, while we grow and learn. (If you want to turn yourself around to learn more about that, turn yourself to the sixth blog post I turned out here — The Ascending Coil.)
Then, I turned myself around to meet my boyfriend Michael, and we turned ourselves around towards Norfolk, Massachusetts to attend a memorial service for his late mother.
When her five children, nephews, nieces, and grandchildren turned themselves around to remember and honor her, I turned myself around to take a few photos:
That’s Bobby, my boyfriend Michael’s nephew. When Bobby turned himself around to ask me if I was still blogging, I turned myself around to answer, “Every day.”
Would any of my other photos from yesterday help anybody turn themselves around?
I am now going to turn myself around, towards YouTube, for some turn-yourself-around tunes for today (here and here):
Now I shall turn myself around to thank all those who helped me create this turn-yourself-around post and you — of course!! — for turning yourself around towards here, today.