craigmcn

This past week on Facebook, I posted three positive things for each of five days. I thought this Thoughtful Thursday I could re-post all 15 and the story behind each one.

Day 1

1. You can’t lose something you never had.
   This is paraphrased from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. In book one, he begins by naming all the people who taught him and the lessons he learned.

2. No matter how I’m feeling, the puppy is always happy to be with me.
   You all know that this has been a trying time for me and some days just aren’t quite right, but no matter how I’m feeling, my sister’s dog, The Baron, is just happy I’m around. That unconditional appreciation means a lot.

3. Sometimes being alone is less lonely than being with people.
   Extroverts gain energy from groups, where introverts are drained of energy by groups, or something like that. As an introvert, I recharge by being alone, which is less lonely than being in a group and needing to be alone.

Day 2

1. There’s always another book to read.
   I think this is pretty self-explanatory. When I finish one book, there’s always another waiting for me.

2. A beer by yourself sometimes becomes a conversation with an interesting stranger.
   After yoga, I decided to stop by the pub for a pint. I was just finishing the pint and decided to have an Irish whisky on the rocks. The fellow beside, Sean, thought an Irish whisky seemed like just the thing, so he joined me in a glass. We got to talking about stuff.

3. Whenever your mind begins to wander, focus on your breathing.
   In Yin yoga, we hold poses for one to three minutes, giving us plenty of time to let our minds wander, which is not good. When our mind wander we focus on our breathing and on the pose, not thinking about the things in our lives or how long until we can let go of the pose.

Day 3

1. Whatever you’re doing, make it yours and enjoy it; try not to imagine how it could be better.
   I was out to an event by myself and it was the kind of thing that one would normally attend with others. I realized that while being with someone else could potentially make it better, I was already enjoying myself.

2. Just being outside and seeing the world is a great feeling.
   I rode my bike to the event along the riverbank. I was outside in the world and it was so simple and satisfying.

3. Saying “hello” and “thank you” is often unexpected; I love the reactions and responses.
   I ring my bell when I come up behind someone on my bike and say “thank you” as I pass, and I say “hello” as I come up in front of someone. Very rarely are they expecting anything, and I get the impression that generally they appreciate the simple interaction.

Day 4

1. I said there’s always another book to read, well it turns out there’s also always another show to binge watch on Netflix.
   If you’re not too picky about what you’re going to watch on TV, Netflix has something for you. And without commercials, it’s pretty easy to get through two or three (or more!) episodes without even realizing it.

2. Even though the weather is absolutely fantastic today, I can do whatever I like, even spend the day on the couch watching silly TV.
   My life is my own. I can be as productive or lazy as I like. Some days I’m productive, or just get out and enjoy being outside, and some days I like to lie on the couch and watch TV.

3. Dinner and games with family!
   Dad made dinner for me and my sister and then we played Star Trek Settlers of Catan. Good times!

Day 5

1. “Nothing to do” means spending time with yourself. And really, who’s better company?
   I spent the day working on my own things and just generally puttering around. Maybe I had nothing to do, but I got to spend the day with someone who needed my attention.

2. “Disagreements” are just more ways of understanding yourself.
   This was prompted by the comments in last week’s post: “Discussions or “debates” are part of what makes life exciting…. differences!! Otherwise things would be so BLAH.” And I realized that without having the discussions and disagreements, it’s hard to know just where you stand. And once you have to put it into words—and hear yourself say the words—you really begin to understand yourself.

3. If you’re feeling down, let a dog lick your face. Trust me. (Wash afterwards, if that’s not really your thing.)
   Some dogs are yucky and some people just don’t like dog licks, but, going back to Day 1 positive #2, the excitement I see when The Baron is licking me is very satisfying.

This was such a fantastic exercise, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Some days, it was tough thinking up three positive things. When I just let myself think about the simpler things that made me smile during the day or that made me feel relaxed, it came very easily. I think I may try this once a month for the next little while. The next five days will start on my birthday.