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I promised to talk about “The Subtle Art…” by Mark Manson. I do recommend it and I think what I got out of it is that positives can be negative if they make you feel ‘less than’ and negatives can be positive if they help you accept situations you find yourself in. I hope that makes sense. In a way, it is a lot like Brene Brown’s book ‘Daring Greatly’. Be vulnerable translated to “Don’t give a bleep” what everyone else thinks. Expectations are the key. Keep them real. You can actually avoid disappointment and celebrate when things are beyond your expectations if you expect to be normal or average.
I am struggling a little with that. Accepting that pigeon poop on your balcony is inevitable when you live in a high rise is difficult. Dust and noise from construction when they are re-flashing the entire exterior of the building this summer and they started with your side, is inevitable. Being asked to use as little water as possible for 24 hours when the pipe burst under the sidewalk and the city has to come and excavate. Taking a drive in your newly acquired vehicle to Peggy’s Cove to find the restaurant mysteriously has lost power. Having to cancel my first road trip in my new-to-me vehicle, a trip to visit relatives “up the Valley,” because of the FOG. All of these things generate disappointment for me. And these are just what has happened in the last few days….
And the underlying threat of COVID 19 continues…
I am kind of worn out.
There are good things happening. My girls (and their families, when they are available) connect with me on Fridays. I had lunch with one of my LOVE cousins, reconnecting after decades. That was awesome. I have a walking and Enneagram buddy next door. I was certified by IEQ9 to do Coaching using their Questionnaire. I have been working towards that since last September. My car is great and does give me more freedom to escape and go to the grocery store and the liquor store on my own. I finally got to Canadian Tire and bought a steamer to steam my very creased curtains. Last curling season’s playoffs have finally been announced. I am working toward getting back to Alberta for that later in September. I walked down to the Northwest Arm this morning and put my hand in the ocean water. I have three golf dates with friends coming up. I joined a writing group that meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for 30 minutes for the next 6 weeks.
And I am actually working on THE BOOK.
Take chances. Dare greatly. Don’t give too many Bleeps. Thank you to Brene and Mark and all of the otherwise and wonderful people in my life. It would be so easy to NOT but I choose venture so that I can gain.
Take care everyone.
Both of my granddaughters celebrated graduations over the past few weeks. Charlie celebrated the end of Grade 12 and I am confident that she will find her way through a Bachelor of Science and into her chosen field of optometry. She is smart and confident and willing to work hard. Kassidy has earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications. She has worked hard and has become an ambitious young adult with an entrepreneurial spirit.
Kass has been working on my blog and my website for almost a year and has finally got me writing again. I am so grateful for that. I had pretty much abandoned both after my Dad passed away. She has helped me edit the first four chapters of the Mapping the Space Manuscript and has placed those chapters on my web page under a new tab. She created my new FaceBook presence and linked it to everything else and I am very grateful for all of it.
As a dancer for most of her life, she knows about stage presence and imaging. As a graduate and budding professional, she also knows a lot about web presence and advertising. This week she created her own web presence with K K Media. Check it out at www.kasskellymedia.com.
I know this is rather blatant bragging and promotion on my part but I am proud of both of my granddaughters and their accomplishments and I believe in Kass and her ability to do this work so why not tell you all about it. I have to share that I am reading a delightful and informative book entitled The Subtle Art of Not Giving a BLEEP. It is about a simple way to find the courage to do what’s important to you without worrying about what others might think. Liberating. A graduation of my own. More about this one by Mark Manson in my next blog.
Take care, everyone.
Putting things off when you have time to do them could be an indication that they were not what you were really passionate about in the first place. I have a couple of writing projects that I cannot seem to get close to these days. I have time. I have energy. I have the tools I need and STILL nothing…. No progress. No initiative. Only inertia. I am not sure what it is going to take to MOVE me. And maybe that’s okay for now.
Finding hope in all of this takes courage and persistence. I am hoping that all of you are doing well and have begun to consider what you will do when this is over, how you will feel and what thoughts you will share with others about the time we spent waiting out the virus. It will go down in history as a time of loss and sadness, of bravery and sacrifice.
Let it also be a time when we find ourselves and our passions just by noticing what we are moved to do when we have all the time in the world to pursue that thing.
Thanks for keeping in touch everyone. Now I am heading back to my piano….
I have spoken to a number of friends and colleagues and have plans to reach out even further. When I think about the good friends and colleagues that I have acquired over the years I am always flabbergasted by how many people I have kept because they are all precious to me, they each have a special place with me and I know gratitude.
My Aunt Louetta, all my cousins, my brother, and his family and my own wonderful children, and my talented grandchildren represent the tip of an iceberg of love. All of them have contributed to my wellbeing in so many different ways. (I may even have to include ex-husbands who keep in touch as family.)
I am lucky enough to have friends still with me that I have known for more than or close to 50 years. I have friends from high school, my first teaching job and my second and my third. I have PULSE friends and Parks friends and Virgin Island friends. I have friends from curling and tap class and book club and XIX and the Lake. I have friends in my building in St Albert and my new friends here in the new condo complex… the fifth-floor coffee klatch.
So, I would like to thank everyone of you for contributing to my mental wellbeing.
This isolation era seems to be winding down but it has taken a toll on many of us, some more so than others. Check your list. Reach out and make sure everyone is feeling okay and do what you can to help if they seem down. A future focused question or two is often all they need.
It works for me … at least as long as it is beyond the present state of things. The “When are you coming back to Alberta?” question is still unanswerable and will continue to unnerve me until I know for sure. “How do you want to remember this time?” Takes me to “It was a time when I improved my piano playing, read five books and learned stuff…”
Where will you be next year at this time? What do you hope to look back on with a sense of pride? I would love it if you would share your answers in the comments.
Take care everyone. Love from Love to all of you.
Putting things off when you have time to do them could be an indication that they were not what you were really passionate about in the first place. I have a couple of writing projects that I cannot seem to get close to these days. I have time. I have energy. I have the tools I need and STILL nothing…. No progress. No initiative. Only inertia. I am not sure what it is going to take to MOVE me. And maybe that’s okay for now.
Stress and uncertainty weigh me down. This week in particular has been beyond difficult here in Nova Scotia. Forgive me for not writing last week. There were no words.
Finding hope in all of this takes courage and persistence. I am hoping that all of you are doing well and have begun to consider what you will do when this is over, how you will feel and what thoughts you will share with others about the time we spent waiting out the virus. It will go down in history as a time of loss and sadness, of bravery and sacrifice.
Let it also be a time when we find ourselves and our passions just by noticing what we are moved to do when we have all the time in the world to pursue that thing.
Thanks for keeping in touch everyone. Now I am heading back to my piano….