I was busy doing other things then remembered that, oops, I need to write this blog! A stellar way to start a Sunday, I think.
I managed to placate Keely until it was nearly 8:00 AM, since it was also about 35°F out and I was not having it. Waited until the sun came up, then dragged her out the door. Took us the long way around Los Robles subdivision, as I knew it would be quiet and pretty. It really is, and that is something I apparently need to prove because a quick scroll through all my older photos shows I don’t really have many pictures of it! A shame!
I was listening to a podcast this morning which was focused on positive mindset/thinking, and it really struck me how much of that in the popular media is wedded to “prosperity gospel”. Think good thoughts and you, too, can be RICH! HEALTHY! IMMORTALLLLLL!!!!! Which…aiya, such a fundamental misunderstanding of the whole thing, honestly, but I get why it’s popular. People are desperate and scared and have been told our whole lives that money is the only way to survive, much less thrive. We are beaten about the head that money buys happiness (it does, to a point!) and wellness (it can, to a point!) and success (sometimes?). That it is often true (to a point!) only reinforces the desperation.
Yet, there is so much more to it than that. No, just thinking positive thoughts won’t “cure” poverty or chronic illnesses, but investing time and energy in NOT being negative can reap real-life benefits. Sometimes lying to yourself is what gets us through; sometimes, acknowledging the severity of the issues we face will help us survive. I personally think the key lesson is know thyself and understand the power we have to improve our lives, in large or small ways. Can’t say I’m very good at that, to be honest, but it’s a goal!
I listened to a book recently that touched on this, perfectly named The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking, which I recommend as a starting point on a journey like this, but I feel there could be so much more said. Maybe I’ll find the words to say it, one day. In the meantime I continue to struggle with feeling dissociation with my body and frustration with my life…