Day 365 -- Past Reflections and Future Hopes

Well -- today marks the one year point for this blog. I began this on New Years Day 2014 when challenged by a friend to move beyond my usual holiday music days on Facebook. I had never blogged or even followed many bloggers, so the process was a new challenge for me and now a new skill to add to the CV <smile>. While some days aren't as insightful as others, I feel that is an accurate representation of daily life -- they aren't all stellar nor do they all contain major breakthroughs. Yet, the small events and thoughts help us work towards the larger changes that occur over the long-term.  Change -- it has been the theme of many entries. Perhaps that reflects the nature of life -- things don't remain constant. I work to ensure that life doesn't stagnate. While parts of it are difficult to alter at times, other parts present the opportunity for a change or a new experience. My advice to everyone is to take that opportunity and see where it leads you. All experiences provide learning opportunities -- the doors to growth and development.

Have I learned this year through this blogging process? Indeed, I have. Spending time at the end of a day to reflect on events and thoughts has helped me to see many things in different lights. It has allowed me to understand aspects of self and left me with further questions to explore. It has helped me to come to terms with some of life's challenges. It has been enjoyable, too. I've appreciated how  this space has allowed me to use the creative and artistic parts of my brain more regularly. I've found a few new musical selections and seen more familiar ones from a different viewpoint. I'm still amazed that others read it <smile>.

So -- today as we bid the year farewell, I want to share two selections. The first fits with the New Year's greetings that abound today but with a slightly different wish for the future. This song was reintroduced to me by a friend recently. The upbeat tempo defies the lyrics and really brings a hopeful feeling to bear. The second selection was chosen since there is no other song that says it quite like this one.  For while I've been pondering and writing, you have been reading. So, we are no longer separated, but share the ideas and music.They are no longer just part of me. I enjoy the poetic, metaphorical, and  '60s feel of this selection. And it is a favourite of the friend who reminded me of the first selection today, too. <smle>. Happy New Year to all! Enjoy! 

Hope of Deliverance -- Paul McCartney

Tapioca Tundra -- The Monkees

Day 364 -- It ends not with a bang, but a winter

Today held a few highlights. It began with a look out the window only to see a white world. This was not forecast last evening, yet there were flurries throughout the day. Not heaps of snow -- but enough to move with a shovel  -- easily.  Another couple of inches have fallen since I moved the first fell.  This wasn't the way I'd hoped to see in the next year -- regular readers will know my views on snow <smile>.

This afternoon, I had a great chat with a dear friend. I'm glad for phones and internet to make the distance seem less than it really is.  I plan to call a couple of other friends from home in the next few days and will even have a couple visiting here at the end of this week. Friends are key to life.

Work for the paid position was done today to get some materials onto the course websites for next Monday. It seems that January 5th couldn't possibly be less than a week away <smile>.  I will spend several hours tomorrow to get the slides together for the first day and complete the first week (at least) on Friday and Saturday.

The selection for today is one that I love, despite the topic <g>. The harmonies and singers involved are delightful. Somehow this upbeat song has just been running around in my head all day. Go figure! Enjoy!

Snow -- Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, & Vera-Ellen

day 363 -- Change Processes

It seems this is the time of year when everyone begins to look to the New Year and make plans for how they want to change. One of the main areas people choose for change is health related behaviour -- smoking cessation, altered eating patterns, different physical activity levels.  These 'resolutions' place extreme pressure on individuals since these plans expect major changes to occur in short periods of time. Often neglected are the reasons behind current behaviours. Our attitudes, beliefs and values play huge roles in everything we do.

Changes should be gradually implemented -- baby steps.  To change ingrained attitudes or values will take time. Knowledge alone does not fully support a behaviour change. It may be the impetus, but the follow through will need alterations in many other aspects of our psyche and social interactions. Backsliding is part of the deal. It is integral to any change process and should not be seen as the ultimate failure. We need to be kinder to ourselves and to others as change processes are under way. The more times we try, the more likely we are to succeed.

So, where did this all come from? <smile> I've encountered several comments, online notes and mediated messages that made me think about the social and marketing pressures put upon people as the new year approaches.  One of these is the selection for today.  This advertisement is not meant to promote the company involved, but to show a changed marketing technique that involves the concepts presented here. It makes us laugh while telling us the truth about ourselves -- an interesting communication method. I still see many sides of the message, but chose to share it anyway. Enjoy!

If You're Happy -- Weight Watchers commercial

Day 362 -- Looking Forward

Today was another day filled with cleaning and decluttering, ending with a sense of accomplishment, though there seems so much more that needs to be attended to. This coming week will involve more decluttering of files to turn ideas into things more cohesive. Much of that can be fun, though drudgery does have its hand in the mess at times.  So -- looking forward today.

Pondering the future can be exciting yet also filled with anxiety. It becomes interesting to see how what we do today can affect what comes tomorrow. This does not mean living in the future or trying to escape today, for that would mean not living in the moment but simply wishing one's life away. It is more looking forward to something in the future -- life events, a movie release, a visit with friends. All in all, it comes from a place of positive feeling. When the negative thoughts creep in, anxiety accompanies them.  The goal becomes to minimize the negative self talk and focus on the positives. Some days this is easier said than done, but the journey isn't meant to be too smooth. <smile>

When thinking through this today, I heard snippets of the song shared here.  I find the lyrics carry some deeper thoughts about looking forward. Enjoy!

Anticipation -- Carly Simon

Day 361 -- Preparing for a New Beginning

Today, I began to get through the year end cleaning of house, clutter and thoughts. Lots of housecleaning today and more sorting and clearing tomorrow.  I always do this sort of thing so that there is a fresh beginning for the New Year. Part of the process is to clean away the old dirt -- like spring cleaning but in December, this involves getting out the new linens and clothes to use and wear in the new year.  My grandmother and a friend from her childhood exchanged tea-towels at Christmas every year. This ensured that they each had a new towel for the new year. Often these were handmade or decorated towels.  It is a tradition that my Mom and I continue with each other each Christmas. This year she gave me a tea-towel and handmade dish cloths.  Small things, but they mean a lot.

Cleaning through thoughts takes a lot more work. It is exhausting but in a different way than vacuuming. Trying to find a way around some of the negative thoughts so that I feel fresh at the beginning of the Winter term is necessary. Without this, I'd not get through the term well. Managing that inner voice can be challenging, since that voice is the root of anxiety, fear and insecurity. There are several difficult tasks that need attention at the beginning of the year, so getting this somewhat under control could help move through those more smoothly.

Regardless of whether it is clutter you can see or clutter you can feel, removing and reorganizing it all can make it new. The lyrics of today's selection speak to a new beginning. Today the title line ran through my head often. The singer/songwriter is one of my favourites who lived many new beginnings. Enjoy!

Just Like Starting Over -- John Lennon

Day 360 -- Unknown Measures of Success

Spending today watching some old and some new recorded programs. One of my favourites is an episode from Doctor Who -- Vincent and the Doctor.  A visit to the Musee D'Orsay sparks a trip to Provence to visit Van Gogh. The writing addresses the concept of finding joy even in darkness. There is an amazing description of Van Gogh given by a current day museum expert played by Bill Nighy. In it he notes that this amazing artist never saw the acceptance of his works during his lifetime as many other masters did. Given his struggles with depressive issues, it seems somewhat sad to me. Yet, as the writers noted even from his despair he translated the beauty around him exquisitely.

Van Gogh has been a favourite of mine since childhood.  His bright coloured landscapes and swirling night skies have brought feelings of calm and joy to many. When privileged to stand in front of original artworks by Van Gogh, I've had tears. The gorgeous purple-blues of irises, the blues and golds of Starry Night and the myriad golds and oranges of sunflowers and wheat fields carry with them an exuberance and attention to detail of everyday scenes -- things many of us walk by without really seeing. This man found those mundane aspects of daily life interesting and committed them to canvas for others to view -- though he never knew anyone would find his painting worth tears. Perhaps one reason I enjoy this Doctor Who episode so much lies in the scenes where Vincent is taken to current day Musee D'Orsay to see his paintings and see so many people there to view them. It was something that this man was not afforded during his lifetime.

From this line of pondering, it seems clear that we should take advantage of the opportunities presented and stick to our convictions -- do what we love and know that there will be moments that make a difference to others, impacts that we may never know. So -- random acts of kindness, shared words or smiles, philanthropic acts -- we do have an impact on the world and those in it. Know that and try to find peace with it even when it seems that we are not meeting that 'success' we have defined for ourselves -- for we may not be meant to know how others measure our success. In his own words -- "I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream." and "I am seeking. I am striving. I am in it with all my heart." 

The selection for today also comes from the soundtrack of the 'Vincent and The Doctor' episode. The lyrics encourage us to make the most of our time. The artists are an indie band from the UK.  Enjoy!

Chances -- Athlete

Day 359 -- Christmas far past

A thought has been swirling around in my head for a few days. During the Christmas season when the focus is on the birth of a baby, I've wondered about the husband and wife involved. The story is one that must have involved a plethora of human emotions, despite their faith.  This is a part of the story that isn't spoken about about much, and I've wondered why. Would it take away from the crux of the tale? I'm not entirely sure this would occur. It would give the reader or listener a deeper appreciation of the struggles involved -- from giving birth in a stable to watching a son grow into a destiny that likely would have been difficult to accept some days.

So -- on this Christmas day, I'm sharing three songs that speak to the back story of the two adults.  One is a traditional carol that I dearly love even if it isn't in English <smile>. The other two are more recent (and in English) songs -- one about the mother and one about her husband. They ask similar questions to mine, and open a window into a broader viewpoint of that day long, long ago. Enjoy!

Ave Maria -- Dame Kiri Te Kanawa

Mary, Did You Know? -- Pentatonix

It wasn't his Child -- Skip Ewing