Life Preservers
Anyone? Anyone? Anyone?
Journal: 17 April, 2025, morning.
Life savers, lifeboats, life preservers: they come in all forms.
What do we do to keep despair from settling into that chair at our table for the long haul, kicking back, lighting up a cigar, and regaling us with the ever so long list of all the things we fear and dread?
I offer these:
Avoid obsession. Diversify your thoughts (and activities). If necessary, schedule a specific time to think about your fears and assiduously refuse to think about them at any other time (from 10:15 AM ‘till 10:30 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays). You may laugh at this, certainly, but it works. If a stray dread creeps in, just say “Nope! Not until Tuesday! Get in line, you silly thing!”
Set yourself a physically hard and unpleasant task and fling yourself into it wholeheartedly. No stopping (unless you can’t breathe). Sweat heavily. Get sore muscles. Carry on for a LONG time. When you are done, sit and empty your mind completely. Just rest and breathe. Then have a cleansing hot shower and a good meal. Something ruinously delicious and special. A treat!
Think of five people who might appreciate a kind word of thanks, or even a warm “hello” and deliver those however you choose (it’s almost impossible to feel sorry for yourself when you are engaged in being grateful). And seriously, don’t just *do* this, BE REALLY GRATEFUL. Otherwise it doesn’t work.
Practice “box breathing.” If the situation is dire enough, lie on the floor, relax all your muscles, and do this. Repeat PRN. Serendipity: all that getting up and down builds muscle! #goodthings
Make bread. The kind that requires LOTS of kneading. Knead the *expletive deleted* out of that bread! Popeye will be jealous of your arms. And you’ll have bread, and feel virtuous, and accomplished. #moveovermartha
Laugh. Laughing kills fear deader than a doornail (I have no idea where that saying came from). Pink Panther movies, Lucy in the candy factory, Monty Python, whatever floats your boat! Laughter is so full of endorphins it should be regulated! Illegal! It’s so powerful.
We are a speck, a blink in time, a mere brief resting place in eternity. Consider the universe. #perspective Be a joyous speck and blink, be grateful for even the brevity, just hold on loosely. #openheartsopenhands
You can let me know how these work out. Or not!
(Extra points for making me laugh)
#journalingalife