Tag: Twitter

SELF-CARE

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1) Don’t rush through tasks

     – Have you noticed when you are feeling stressed -out (See: November 8, 2016), everything feels like a chore? I mean EVERYTHING: From showering to dusting to making love, we tend to want to put off or rush through it. That feeling of “I’m not doing enough.” Or “On to the next thing!”

We all know the story of the spiritual apprentice, who travels 1000 miles to find the wise guru in his fields, tilling the soil. “Oh, Great Master! I have come far! What is the SECRET to life?” The sage continues looking down, tilling the soil.

Be mindful. If you mind wanders, bring it back to the task. Do not beat yourself up when your mind wanders, however!

It will. Just don’t check Twitter yet.

2) Tell yourself, often: “YOU’RE DOING GREAT!”

     – Did you brush your teeth today? Great! Did you reach out to a friend? Great! Did you watch caterpillars all day? Great! Are you breathing? Great!

3) Remember: Actitivity leads to action leads to activism.

     – Notice when you are active, focused on task or playing or creating, you feel empowered. This empowerment can be utilized into making a small difference in this political climate- calling your representative about an issue, signing a petition, volunteering in a food kitchen, reaching out to like-minded individuals, doing something for someone else. Nothing is small or insignificant.

Tweet if you must. Just don’t spend the majority of your time, living through the lives of others on Facebook.

4) BREATHE

     – Yes, everyone says this, and we say “yeh, okay, of course” but stress causes shallow breathing and thus, poor oxygen and blood circulation. Andrew Weill’s Breathing Technique of 4-7-8 works well. With your tongue on the roof of your mouth, sit up straight, and breathe in for the count of 4. Hold for 7. Breathe out, through your mouth, for the count of 8. Repeat 3-5 times. Do this several times a day.

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A reminder for today. And by the way, YOU’RE DOING GREAT.

 

 

 

 

Take comfort in your characters.

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“Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.” ― Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing

“Sow a thought, and you reap an act;
Sow an act, and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit, and you reap a character;
Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.”― Samuel Smiles

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I look forward to spending time with my characters the five days a week I write.

I can’t wait to see what they’ll say and do. I feel for them.

40,000 words into my 2nd draft. Head down now. No more distractions.

Where will I place my characters when this journey is over?

[blog # 13 #AntiSocialSocialMediaExperiment #SocialMediaSummerSabbatical

 

Momma always said “Politics Is Like A Box Of Cereal” – Forrest Trump

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You want a bowl of cereal. You’re craving a bowl of cereal. Something sweet like when you were a kid. Trix. Alphabits (but the ones before they changed the ingredients). Coco Puffs (only because they were not allowed in your house).

You check the kitchen cabinet and damn, you’re out of cereal. You check the pantry: Eureka! But damn damn, it’s generic bran flakes. You go to the dollar store down the street and go to the cereal aisle. There is only brand name (expired? damaged?) cereal but it’s those large tasteless rectangle wheat bars. Kinda shredded-like. (no one enjoys being sued).

You go home with your tasteless weird wheat shreds and pour a giant bowl. Your plan is to cover the damn things in as much sugar as you can, slice up some fruit on top.

Oh. My. God. You don’t have enough milk. You are not about to go to the store again!

You look at the carton, hoping for x-ray vision, gauging just how much milk is left.

Cereal to milk ratio is the meaning of life.

After giving the carton a good shake then peering inside, you realize you have to remove some of the cereal. You will have to sacrifice some of the rectangles and most of the banana. You start a second bowl with the leftovers and put it in the fridge, leaving it for “later.”(tbh= throw out)

You wait until your show comes back on before pouring the milk on the cereal because cereal to milk crunchiness is the meaning of life.

You do it. Grab your spoon and napkin first, then pour!

Perfect. The fucking milk is bad! The milk is lumpy, smelly and sour.

You dump it all out and decide to move to Italy and eat gelato for the rest of your life.

 

[Blog # 11 – #SocialMediaSummerSabbatical #SummerSocialMediaSabbatical #AntiSocialSocialMediaExperiment ]

 

How to not hold on to sanity

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A458C7C6-1A34-445F-AAB7-DEF018AE0583I get into the most trouble when I try to hold on. It doesn’t matter what it is: an idea, a thought, a feeling, a relationship, an experience- none of it serves the ME in the end. What’s harder? Trying to let go? Trying to let go of: an idea, a thought, a feeling, a relationship, an experience- either way, the cluster fuck seems to be in the “trying”.

Could it be the ME is drawn to self-imposed suffering; a non-stop, commercial-free, one way fearful trip to a future that never arrives?

I live an extraordinary life and yet I wake up to battle everyday. I don’t give myself a break until hours after I’m conscious. Sometimes, I’m relieved that in 20 years I’ll probably get to punch my time card for the last time and retire to the Afterlife. I put in my time on Earth. I won’t be needing a gold Apple watch either.

There is respite. Today,

I find comfort in my  thoughts or they can be my worse enemy.

When my mind is searching around, waiting to land on the roulette wheel of emotions, I can easily fall to existential angst or the latest shooting/attack/atrocity (#Munich #CharlesKinsey #TrumpSpeech) for suffering solace. Or perhaps because the first love encounter you are writing for your character turns into a sexual assault.

Perhaps the trick is forging ahead (“just keep swimming”) and keep that augmented reality in the background.

Perhaps I have to let go of this notion.

7/24/16

[BLOG # 10 #SummerSocialMediaSabbatical #TheAntiSocialSocialExperiment #SocialMediaSummerSabbatical ]

 

Mental health, the criminal justice system, and how I blame Elayne Boosler

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Yesterday, I did something out of the norm. I sent two letters out. Both to prisons. Both to men in their 20’s, serving time for violent crimes. One for 13 years. One for life. They both suffer from severe mental illness. One is a friend’s son and one is an ex-client. Neither could get proper help on the “outside”.  Neither is getting help on the “inside” – the justice system and these privatized institutions do not deal with “crazy”. Why should they?

Only 15-20% of Police forces in the country have crisis intervention officers specializing in mental health. [Nightline: 7.22.16]

I have a close friend on Twitter with PTSD who just bought a gun. She sounds angry and out of touch- a lot. Today she’s TRUMPED up by the fear mongering. We are to believe we need to treat these pockets of horrific violence militarily, not as the law enforcement or mental health issue and gun proliferation that it is. We ignore the roots and want quick easy answers.

I wonder if we’ll ever be able to connect the dots to sanity in this country?

 

On another Note-A Confession: I cheated this week and went onto Facebook. I went to check on a friend and came across an Elayne Boosler Game. How could I resist? I checked Twitter today too and even posted via an anonymous account. #Munich #MichaelKinsey #RNC #damn

 I still blame Elayne Boosler for my Social Media Sabbatical slide.

[blog # 9 #AntiSocialSocialMediaExperiment #SummerSocialMediaSabbatical]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Focus on the task at hand: saying goodbye to VHS.

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Find myself wanting to scroll through Twitter SO BADLY at times – like a smoker, HABIT/ INGRAINED in my muscle memory. MUST PICK UP PHONE. I’m used to checking after coffee, bathroom breaks, afternoon slumps, teatime, lunchtime, during coffee, waiting for anything. Mornings, Afternoons, Late evening. Before coffee.

ADDICT/SCHMADDICT

True, I fell off the wagon a few times. But I’m making the rules. I am allowed (says me) to post on my news and political account once in awhile and to dm my brother. The universe reminded me STAY OFF when I saw “jihadi obama” on a hashtag. O.M.F.G. Remember the “UNPATRIOTIC AMERICANS” questioning Dubya? Don’t get me started.

Doing better with Facebook but went on once to see how my friend’s surgery went (only because she didn’t return my call.)

I didn’t visit or “like” (emote) any posts. Phew.

Guess what I’ve discovered? I have a lot more time! When the break from writing becomes a green adventure outside or Tai Chi or stillness (watching the infinite between my thoughts) becomes priority. When I can remind myself- you are chipping away at whatever arbitrary (read: SO IMPORTANT) goal you set- progress is being made! Maybe they won’t want to bury you with your bins afterall! Film gets scanned, photos get deleted, edited, organized S.L.O.W.L.Y., home movies get CONVERTED TO DVD THEN PLACED ON YOUTUBE.

(It’s official. We are no longer carrying memores on VideoTape!)

The green is calling me now.  Will visit the monarch caterpillars who are all cocooning.

Just like me.

post #8 #SocialMediaSummerSabbatical

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Method Acting & A River Baptism

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Writing is about submerging oneself into another realm.

Drowning out the chaos surrounding you and finding the center which births your world.

 I find it difficult to come out of a writing session. [Defined as sitting focused, 5-7 hours, trying to remember to get up and stretch, eat, and drink.] It has to be driven by a singular mission: listen to the characters voices. Know the theme and settings, but immerse fully.

I know of no other way. I realize, if I were an actor, I would definitely be a method actor- brood about, inhabit the entire being, become the story. IRL- I become easily distracted, and need to commit fully (i.e. get off social media for the summer to finish this DAFT 2ND DRAFT) in order to pinpoint thoughts to completion. The pinpoints of stillness actually become the ordered chaos of plot.

There has to be utter unshakeable (HA!) faith pervading all- allowing that plunge, daring to hold your breath throughout your creation, shake off the outer events of life (Sweet JESUS) and become reborn in a world of your own making.

Know. That. I. Am.

Good writing day. 45 pages.

[ # 7 of 7 posts #SocialMediaSummerSabbatical]

Why create a new path when the old one is working just fine?

 

Why create a new path when the old one is working just fine?

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We tend to assess ourselves at the wrong times.

Depressed states, anxious states, angry states- the negative emotions tend to be our best motivators. Making a decision in any of these states however is most often, exactly what we shouldn’t do. But we do. (Note: I am a proponent for not applying “shoulds” of any kind in our lives but in this case, it seems to fit)

Is it possible however, to assess our life when things are going well? When we feel happy? Satisfied and at peace?  In a “good place”? Is this the time we feel motivated to make a change? Take a risk? Why not just appreciate this transient moment and sink back into our comfort zone? Why dare to try anything different at this point when things seem fine?

It’s easier to accept that this is the precise time to make decisions, as we are least effected by the suffering of our ego. (Trying to convince ourselves NOT to evaluate ALL  when we are in the opposite place is harder.)

Wild creatures make paths to escape predators, as a way back to the nest or food source, and often have several alternative routes.

That dent in the couch cushion fits our ass so well, why move at all?

I’m taking a different path this summer and it’s not from ennui but from wanting to challenge myself and risk the repose I have on various  Social Media sites (Twitter & Facebook).

I have nothing but freshly fallen snow in front of me.

 

[# 6 blogpost for #SocialMediaSummerSabbatical – go to bottom left or right (titles) for other posts]

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Things you cannot do while tweeting or checking facebook

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– Sitting in a chair bookended by two giant dog heads, scratching each one.
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“A NEW STUDY” just came out revealing we spend TEN HOURS PER DAY on FB and Twitter and Instagram and Snapchat. I feel vindicated.

I don’t want to start sounding like an ex-smoker (it’s been 9 days and I cheated a bit) BUT I realize I never mean to be on the social medias for that long.

It is strange not checking. It is freeing and there is more time.
I don’t know what 2 more months will feel like nor what I will do come September,
but I like the freedom from my phone.
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THINGS I’D STILL LIKE IF NOT FOR THE INTERNET:
>Ayn Rand
>Jonathan Franzen
>Woody Allen
>Ishtar (okay, I still like Ishtar.thanks Rick.)

6.30.16

[# 5 blogpost for #SocialMediaSummerSabbatical – go to bottom left or right (titles) for other posts]

New: Why create a new path when the old one is working just fine?

Last: THE SOCIAL MEDIA SUMMER SABBATICAL CONTINUES: day 5

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THE SOCIAL MEDIA SUMMER SABBATICAL CONTINUES: day 5

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Remembering – what it was like “before”.  Prior to these past 8 years when creative personal experience (thought)  transformed (more) through art, writing and photography. Poetry. Letters.

Remembering- away from the feeling of “no responses” (See also: no likes/favs/loves) and ego transforming  that feeling to “rejection. you’re unloved by your peers.”

Freedom from constant external negative reinforcement.

Remembering- I don’t need to interpret “my experience” in order for it to be.

The yard is full of monarchs today. I realize I’m “allowed” to use my VINE account and document 6 seconds of backyard. I don’t share the clip anywhere. Heaven.

Saturday june 25th

[# 4 blogpost for #SocialMediaSummerSabbatical ]

Next: #5-  Things you cannot do while tweeting or checking facebook