I used to go to a diet club. Everyone would line up to be weighed, and their weight recorded in a little book. We all had little books we had decorated like primary school projects, with flowers and butterflies and aspirational pictures. I had a photo of myself looking younger and less fat to help … Continue reading The scales of virtue
Category: Uncategorized
The past is gone
I feel like I am waking up after 25 years in a coma. The dark haze of depression, psychosis and illness that was my reality for my entire adult life has slowly cleared and I am now blinking and rubbing my eyes as I stumble into the light of a new reality. New experiences abound … Continue reading The past is gone
Straying into Storyland
One of the most valuable skills I have learned (and I am yet to perfect it) is to experience an emotion without attaching it to a story. Let me explain. Many times I have felt sad, angry or hurt. Apparently humans often do. It would also seem that some humans seek explanations for every occurrence … Continue reading Straying into Storyland
Scaffolding
Have you ever gone to visit a landmark, all excited to see this marvel of architecture in real life - and then been disappointed when you arrived because it was shrouded with scaffolding? It is disappointing, but would be even worse if no-one ever maintained or repaired the building and it crumbled away. Because scaffolding … Continue reading Scaffolding
Good news for anyone who can breathe
Waiting for the results of medical tests is one of life's exquisite tortures. One morning I was at work trying to concentrate on my tasks while waiting for the phone call with results of a biopsy. Waiting to find out if I had cancer. A couple of days before, that sort of thing wasn't even … Continue reading Good news for anyone who can breathe
Your happiness helps
We all have something that makes our heart leap up. An unmistakable jolt of joy hits whenever we encounter that delicious stimulus. For me it's the smell of coffee, freesias, rain and strawberries (though not necessarily all at once). It's gentle sunshine, green grass and the solid, serene company of a tree. And one thing … Continue reading Your happiness helps
Mirrors
If you admire a quality in a person, then that person is mirroring that quality to you. If you did not possess that quality yourself, it is unlikely you would notice it in the other person. When I found out about this phenomenon, I became aware of it playing out in a way I had … Continue reading Mirrors
Your most valuable commodities
Every day we exchange energy and time. Money too, but I think sometimes energy and time are even more important resources than money, yet we give them more freely than money without realising their value. If a friend asked me for $50 I might pause to consider if I could really afford it that week, … Continue reading Your most valuable commodities
Choice
'I don't have any choice'. The utterance of resignation. Acceptance, but grudging acceptance. These words put you in a place of disempowerment, which never feels good. They're not even necessarily true. Most of the time we have a choice, but we choose not to acknowledge that. Or the choices are so obvious it doesn't feel … Continue reading Choice
The mental torture of anxiety
It's healthy and natural to be concerned about stuff. Humanity would have perished long ago if people did not imagine possible negative outcomes of their actions. Even people who claim they don't worry about anything usually still wear seatbelts and helmets, lock their houses and vehicles, buy insurance, have medical checkups and try to avoid … Continue reading The mental torture of anxiety
