Being A Kind Person In A Cruel World
I want to be a kind person.
The world is working against that goal right now. Many of the people in control of it seem to be terrible people. There’s a normalization of terrible, a view being established that we must be terrible to become what society deems as successful.
I don’t want to be that version of successful. I don’t want to be terrible. I don’t want to be stingy with help or cruel or uncaring or evil.
That’s not the person I want to be OR the world I want to live in.
Thankfully, the Dear Wonderful Hubby is a genuinely kind person. His first thoughts are of kindness. He trusts people until they give him reason not to trust them. He helps…everyone.
We joke that we’d never survive a zombie apocalypse because he’d be out there, trying to heal and to help the bitten. (smiles) That’s the type of person he is and I love him for this.
He is helping me, tremendously, to be kind.
I hope that you have found or will soon find at least one other being who will help you stay kind in a cruel world, my friends!
(This being could be a human friend or a rescue dog or a seedling struggling to establish itself.)
Being and staying kind is such a worthy goal!
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How Habits Help Us Deal With Change
Every morning, after the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I eat breakfast, I complete the same 20 minute walking video-led workout.
I can recite this video word-by-word. I know all the moves. Sometimes my mind wanders during it and I do the workout without thinking.
And this is comforting for me.
Because the world is changing dang quickly in almost all ways.
Yet this workout, this habit of mine is a constant (as is the Dear Wonderful Hubby – smiles). This is reassuring. It is calming.
If you feel like your world is changing too quickly, consider creating a habit for yourself.
This could be a personal affirmation you say to yourself in the mirror every morning. Or cleaning the sink every night before you go to bed. Or spending ten minutes during your lunch break to read. Or something else.
Do this every day.
And draw comfort in knowing that this habit, a part of your world that YOU control, hasn’t changed.
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You Are Loved
Know that you are loved, my friends.
(big hugs)
You might be thinking, ‘Cynthia doesn’t truly know me. How can she love me?’
Do we EVER truly know another person?
I’ve known my Awesome Mom all my life. (grins) Yet I find out new things about her with almost every conversation.
And I love her.
Plus I do know some key things about you.
You read romance, which means you likely believe a bit in love, optimism and hope.
That, in itself, makes you worthy of so much love, my friends.
(more hugs)
I know you’re curious. That’s why you are reading this post.
I know you like connections. Again, you’re reading another person’s post.
And I know other things.
And ALL of those things make you worthy of love.
I also think if people can hate for no reason, people can certainly love for no reason.
(smiles)
And, as I’ve shared, I don’t lack reasons to love you. I have plenty of reasons.
You ARE loved. Know this.
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You CAN Take Time Off
The world is a bit of a tire fire right now.
Many of us are feeling stressed and we’re feeling tired.
Some of us might be thinking about quitting.
Quitting writing. Quitting an exercise program. Quitting hanging out with family. Quitting day jobs. Or quitting something else.
Quitting is fine. Quitting often creates space for other things to happen. It can be one of the best things we ever do.
But also know that it is okay to take time off, to rest.
We don’t have to quit, if we don’t want to do that. We can put the writing, the exercise program, the family meet ups, the day job, whatever else on hold.
Many companies have leave of absence policies for exactly this reason. (Which means so many people do this, put their jobs on hold, they needed to put a policy in place to deal with it.) Most gyms make it easy to pause memberships.
If you need to take a break or have a rest, do this.
Life is not a race. We’re allowed to take time off.
(smiles)
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Weeding, Washing Dishes And Other Accomplishments
When I weed a patch of garden, extracting the plants that shouldn’t be growing there (which is THE definition of a weed – a misplaced plant), and I see how good it looks, I feel a sense of accomplishment.
Because it IS an accomplishment.
I accomplished a task, an important task. Sure, it might not be a task others care about. But it was necessary and it betters my world.
Accomplishments don’t have to be HUGE or high profile.
Washing dishes is an accomplishment. Getting up every day is an accomplishment. Reading this blog post is an accomplishment.
Be proud you’ve completed this task! Feel that satisfaction and happiness.
You ROCK!
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Writers Are Struggling
Before I talk about writer struggles, I would like to reassure you that you don’t have to worry about me.
Not financially.
The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I are fortunate to have other sources of income. The Dear Wonderful Hubby, for example, referees pickleball games. I’m a business babe in my other life.
And we know how to stretch a dollar. We make many meals out of other people’s leftovers. (grins) I enjoy that challenge and I like that the food isn’t wasted.
We’re doing okay.
But other writing buddies are NOT doing okay.
Many of them are struggling both emotionally and financially.
We’re all dealing with the same world. And it is a tire fire right now.
People are worried about loved ones’ safety, freedom, health, keeping the lights on and putting food on the table.
Grocery prices are so fraggin’ high, aren’t they?
(shakes head)
And writers, most writers, don’t earn very much money from book sales.
(The rare few that do earn big dollars are the equivalent of lottery winners.)
One of my buddies, for example, publishes a romance novel every 3 months. She has over 30 novels published. And they’re great novels. I’ve read them and enjoyed them.
Yet she earned less than $1,000 US in 2025 from book sales.
That doesn’t cover the cost of maintaining a newsletter.
She is LOSING money by publishing her novels.
So please extend writers (and everyone else) some grace.
Be gentle with them. Be patient.
We’re all doing the best we can and we CAN get through this if we work together.
(big hugs)
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Little Bits Count Over Time
My approach to life is…
Little bits count over time.
500 words written a day (2 pages) is 182,500 words a year. That’s over 2 long novels (80,000 words or 320 pages long).
1 piece of trash picked up in the neighborhood every day is 365 pieces a year. This will make a HUGE difference in how the neighborhood looks.
1 extra seed sown could provide the equivalent of a full day’s vegetables for 1 person.
Stretching scrambled eggs once a week with a bit of water could save the equivalent of over 4 dozen eggs a year.
1 reach out to a friend could make the difference in her day.
Using 1 old cotton t-shirt, cut into strips, for tomato ties keeps that shirt out of the landfill and saves us money on ties.
1 romance novel bought could ensure that series continues (I’ve seen this happen first hand. 1 sale can make a HUGE difference.).
Little bits can make a difference in the world. Don’t ever doubt that, my friends!
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Art Persists
I was telling the Dear Wonderful Hubby yesterday
that the world might be a giant ever-burning tire fire
but
the music being shared is AMAZING.
I don’t like all of it, of course. Art isn’t meant to be liked by everyone. But I like a lot of it and I recognize the creativity and the awesome wordsmithing behind the works.
There have been some great romance novels released also (often self-published). And poems. And wow about the rebellious graffiti art springing up all over.
Art persists.
And so will we.
(smiles)
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Go Offline For A Moment
I see you doomscrolling!
As we all are. There is so much doom to scroll.
But the doom can wait. Your mental health and happiness comes first.
Disconnect for a moment, a brief moment (or longer), and be present in your surroundings.
Smell the Spring (or Fall/Autumn) air. Listen to the birds sing. Curl your toes (if you are fortunate to be able to do this). Touch a leaf.
You NEED this moment of peace, of connection, my friend. Give it to yourself.
You deserve it.
(big hugs)
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Sleeping In And LOVIN’ It!
I am NOT a morning person.
But, during outdoor gardening season, which in my part of the world usually stretches from mid April to mid November, I tend to get up at the butt crack of dawn, as I jokingly refer to it.
Because it’s preferable to water plants in the wee hours of the morning. That way, leaves can dry before the sun’s rays touch them.
During the rest of the year, I sleep in.
And it is GLORIOUS, my friends. (smiles) I snuggle under the covers with the Dear Wonderful Hubby (also not a morning person) and I dream about all the stories I might or might not write.
I wish you equally happy mornings!
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