Investments Anyone Can Make
I believe in investing in the future, preparing, putting something away that I can benefit from later.
Wait! This isn’t a financial post. Money is tight. I get it. Stars, do I get it!
The fact that we automatically link investing to money is a bit sad.
Because there are a gazillion types of perhaps even more valuable investing we can do.
That free article you read about how trees communicate?
THAT is an investment.
You’re investing in your brain, in your mental database of facts, and that is priceless because it is yours to keep (depending on how good your memory is). No one can repossess that information.
That container of mint you’re growing on your windowsill?
THAT is an investment.
It could supply you with mint…forever. (Because mint is nearly impossible to kill.) It could give you something to trade (the mint harvest) if times get tough. Studies also show tending to plants extends your life and reduces your stress. That is a great investment.
That coffee break you spent with a friend?
THAT is an investment.
You are maintaining valuable connections. You are giving and receiving love. You are reducing your stress and adding joy to your life and both of these are shown to help us live longer.
There are so many little investments we can make today that will ‘pay off’ later.
Invest in your life today!
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Do You LOVE It?
I once read a study that revealed
the more we use an object
the more emotionally attached we become to it.
I have a t-shirt I’ve worn at least once a month for many decades. It wasn’t anything special when I first received it. But now it is soft and worn and I love it. I love it so much I’ve repaired it a couple times.
If I had bought that t-shirt (I didn’t) and I had known I’d be wearing it hundreds of times (I didn’t), I would have put more thought into which t-shirt I purchased.
I think of this t-shirt whenever I make a purchase.
Is there a possibility I’ll be wearing or using the purchase multiple times?
If yes, do I LOVE it?
Or is there a different object I’d love more?
Surround yourself with things you love, my friend.
And then cherish those things for as long as possible.
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Be Kind For You
When I was bringing in the garbage bin for a rather grumpy, sometimes hostile neighbor, another person said to me, “Why do you bother to do that for him? He won’t appreciate it.”
I didn’t do it for him.
I did it for me.
I’m kind for me. I want to live in a neighborhood where neighbors help neighbors, where people take a minute out of their day to be kind for no reason other than being kind.
And I feel good helping others. I feel kinder, less angry with the world.
IMHO, that’s the BEST reason to be kind.
Be kind for you, for YOUR soul.
It doesn’t matter if other people see or know about or appreciate the kindness. YOU see and know about and appreciate it.
And you are more than enough, my friend!
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Influencers And What We See Online
A lot of what we see online, especially from professional influencers, is staged. The gardens are staged. The homes are staged. The vacation photos are staged.
They are the best possible scenario.
Some gardening influencers stick plants obtained from garden centers into the ground right before filming. They pull the dead or dying or diseased plants. They weed the garden. They show the best angles, the best spots.
There ARE influencers who are pushing back on this. They ARE showing some dying or diseased plants. They DO talk about their failures.
But they are rare.
And even these influencers don’t show us a lot of their failures.
That’s understandable.
Many people watch them BECAUSE they are a success. These people don’t want to see failures or imperfections. It makes them doubt the influencer’s credibility.
Remember this when you look at photos and videos. Very few people show their failures but I can guarantee with 100% certainty they are experiencing them.
Because even professionals have failures.
Even professionals make mistakes. They aren’t first year newbie mistakes. They are no one could have predicted or stopped this mistakes. Or they are I was too busy/tired when I made this decision mistakes. Or they are I tried something new because I’m always trying to improve and it didn’t work out mistakes.
You could be the best gardener in the world, for example, and an unexpected hail storm will still take out much of your outdoor garden (and we won’t even talk about the constant battle against slugs – grins).
Professionals have failures. Influentials have failures. You and I shouldn’t be surprised when we have failures also.
Failures are part of this wonderful journey.
(smiles)
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The Slow And Steady Build
I REALLY like the slow and steady build.
Many writers want the huge influx of readers. They want to be discovered and blow up big overnight.
I want the slow gradual build. I can get to know readers this way. I can better balance writing and reader interactions. I feel less pressure.
Gardening is also about the slow and steady build.
It is advisable that we only add around 3 new-to-us plants to our gardens every year (due to the steep learning curve for each plant). At that pace, it takes about a decade to fill out a garden half-decently.
Plus soil takes decades to build properly.
Most of the world is about fast actions, fast returns. But know that it is okay to have a slow and steady build.
Do things at your own pace, my friends, the pace that makes YOU happy.
(big hugs)
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There Is Beauty Everywhere
(This is a photo the Dear Wonderful Hubby took while we were in Taiwan.)
There is a theory in business called The Red Car Theory.
Once you notice a red car, you tend to see red cars everywhere.
This applies to everything.
If you look for something, you’ll start to ‘see’ it, to notice it everywhere.
So look for joy. Look for smiles.
Look for beauty.
And you’ll then see it everywhere. You’ll see it in the curve of a g on a printed page. You’ll see it in the dew clinging to a blade of green grass. You’ll see it in the spark of gold in a friend’s brown eyes.
You deserve beautiful moments, my friend.
Give them to yourself.
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Silly Is Wonderful
The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I spotted this giant flower-covered sculpture of a frog in Japan.
Some more ‘serious’ people would call it silly. Who needs a house-sized flower frog?
We thought it was wondrous. It made us smile.
I often tell very bad puns and jokes. Some people call them silly. They often smile when they say that.
The Super Secret Project is humorous. Some people will call it silly. I hope it makes people smile.
Because we all deserve joy. We deserve to smile. Studies say smiling makes us live longer.
Don’t be afraid of silly. Silly is wonderful. And silly is often needed.
You can make the world a better, happier place for someone with silly acts.
And isn’t that a great super power?
(smiles)
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There ARE Alternatives
I had to make an extreme change to my diet. At first, I was feeling a bit sorry for myself.
But then, I uncovered
There are new-diet-happy alternatives for ALL of my favorite foods! They aren’t exactly the same but they are close enough and they bring me joy.
This is often true in all aspects of life. There ARE alternatives. Losing one option often forces us to look for other options. And we tend to FIND these options when we search for them.
As the saying goes, when one door closes, another opens.
Look for the opening door!
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It Is Okay To Have A Mental Health Day
My arthritis, due to the abrupt changes in weather, has been…intense. The news has been…a lot. The weather is gray.
So I’m having a mental health day today.
I’ve cancelled all of my plans, postponed all the work I can postpone, and I will stay in bed, reading and watching movies and taking it easy.
And that’s okay, my friend.
Life isn’t a race. Our to-do lists are something WE create, not the universe demands we do. They can be to-done (as the Dear Wonderful Hubby jokingly refers to it) tomorrow. Or the next day.
If you need a mental health day and can afford to take one, take one. Refill your energy wells. Regain your happiness. Give your brain and your body a break.
You deserve it!
(smiles)
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Divide The News And Protect Your Happiness
There’s…A LOT happening in the world right now. It can be overwhelming. And the revelations are often spirit sucking.
We have to stay informed to stay safe. But we also have to protect our mental health and safeguard our joy. Happiness is precious. We have to shield it.
One thing the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I do, that has helped greatly with balancing safety and joy, is…
We divide the news between ourselves and with other loved ones.
One loved one focuses on wars and military movements, for example.
He tells us if there’s anything we should do or know here at home regarding this.
He will also say things like “It’s really bad out there.” without going into gruesome details.
And, when we’re planning travel, we’ll let him know and he’ll inform us if there’s anything we should be aware of.
My specialty is climate and the environment.
I inform loved ones if there’s something they should know or take action on regarding these.
Yes, we need to be aware of anything that might harm us. But we don’t have to be aware of EVERYTHING dire happening in this big ol’ world in grim detail.
It is okay to only be knowledgeable of pieces of it.
Protect your mental health, my friends.
(big hugs)
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