How to (Re)Build a Future

Recently, I began collecting--and actually wearing--teeshirts like this, for the first time in almost forty years.  Aside from being intrigued by sayings that resonate with me, I found that displaying my affirmations openly is another way to push myself forward.  If people see me walking around like this, I feel responsible for actually living up to the words.  The last thing I want to feel--or be perceived of as--being full of crap.

Same goes for the necklace above.  I wore it for awhile while still in California, and then, when life got "too crazy" from 2012-2015, I put it away.  Now that I think about it, wearing it and invoking the message inscribed on it during that "crazy" time, would have made a lot of sense.  I could have derived a lot of comfort, and been more able to stand my ground when I was receiving lots of well-meaning but contradictory (and in some cases, harmful) advice.  I would have believed that I was, in the end, going to be okay.

While getting ready for my day this morning, I came across the necklace. Suddenly, the words spoke to me, and I put it on. And it's now going to be part of me, like the pewter cross my courageous grandmother left me.  

Takeaway:  items we wear can inspire us, and our inspiration can be reflected in our outward presentation to others.  I was at my doctor's office the other day, and she (very young and young-looking herself) kept repeating "how great" I was looking since my visit in May of 2015.  Besides getting my severe arthritis pain somewhat under control, I mentioned to her that I was now re-committed to Weight Watchers, and already feeling some difference.  By the way, to date, I'm down ten pounds, but I feel there's been more of a loss since this past Monday.  Less weight = less knee pain = more ability to go on walks and weekend outings.  One more way I feel confidence on the upswing.

Besides my day job as a therapist, and squeezing in the writing into precious blocks of time, I'm now trying to master social media and make it work for me.  When I had a private practice years ago, how naive I was!  Somehow, I thought posting in all the web's nooks and crannies was all anyone needed to do.  It was (I thought), the digital equivalent to writing ads on 3-by-5 cards,  running around town, tacking them on whatever community bulletin boards I could--and then praying for responses.  Now I see that the internet is the closest thing possible to a living organism, with all kinds of systems that need continuous tending to.  No wonder big corporate social media are departments all onto themselves.

Well, this fledging "corporation" (me), has to navigate social media on a DIY basis--so far it's on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, and ello.co.  It's a work in progress, so please be patient with my neophyte efforts.  Catch you out there!