Monthly Archives: March 2024

Day 4098: Stuff

Posted on March 22, 2024 by Ann Koplow

Here’s some stuff about stuff:

In my groups (where I encourage people not to stuff their feelings), members have been talking about having too much stuff and wanting to get rid of stuff.
People seem to focus on getting rid of stuff in the spring.
The other day, there was so much stuff about stuff in group that I wrote this line: “How much stuff is enough?”
I actually have enough stuff for my concerts in May and June, so I’m not planning on writing any more new stuff; instead, I’m going to focus on the old stuff.
When you wake up in the middle of the night worrying about stuff, Tim Box (whose stuff appeared in yesterday’s blog post) suggests that you not get anxious about being anxious.
I keep telling my husband Michael not to move my stuff, especially my medical stuff.
People can get very territorial about their stuff.
As Shakespeare wrote in The Tempest, “we are such stuff as dreams are made on.”
I love stuff like that.

Here’s the rest of the stuff for today’s blog post:

I don’t know where and how they come up with that stuff for each day.

Here’s great stuff I found on YouTube:

Thanks to George Carlin, William Shakespeare, Tim Box, Michael, The Daily Bitch, my friends on Twitter and Threads, the people in my groups, and everyone else who helps me deal with stuff, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: cats, common courtesy, coping and healing groups, George Carlin, letting go of stuff, March 22 2024, pot roast, The Daily Bitch Calendar, The Tempest, Tim Box, Twitter and Threads | 10 Comments

Day 4097: Already Anxious

Posted on March 21, 2024 by Ann Koplow

I was already anxious when I saw this Harvard Gazette headline yesterday:

Apparently, being already anxious can sometimes be an advantage.

I think some headline writers deliberately make people who aren’t already anxious, anxious.

As if I weren’t already anxious enough, now I’m more anxious about birdhouses, of all things.

I’m already anxious about all the things I have to do to prepare for my concert/live album recording in a few months, but it helps to know I’ve got so much great support and good enough songs, including this one:

My son, who helps when I’m already anxious, thinks that “I’m Mad About You” might be my best song. And even though I was already anxious back then about calling myself “The Singing Therapist,” I’m no longer anxious about that.

Yesterday, in my Coping and Healing group, I suggested to people who were already anxious that they hold their hand over their heart, sending comforting and loving energy to their heart space.

If you’re already anxious, I hope this post helps reduce that anxiety.

On Memory Day, I’m already anxious about my memory, but I guess it’s good enough for a 71 year old.

Here’s what I find when I search for “already anxious” on YouTube:

Thanks to Tim Box, cats, and supportive people everywhere who help me when I’m already anxious, including YOU.

Categories: original song, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: “How to Stop Feeling Anxious about Anxiety”, cats, coping strategies, March 21 2024, Memory Day, polls, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the Harvard Gazette, the South Shore of Boston, Tim Box, Twitter | 9 Comments

Day 4096: Fast and Furious

Posted on March 20, 2024 by Ann Koplow

In these fast and furious times, I’m working on being slow and calm.

I used to be fast and furious in my single-minded dedication to my work until one day I realized that was bad for my physical and mental health. One of the wake-up calls for me was watching a scene in the movie Whiplash where the young drummer is so desperate, fast, and furious about getting to a performance on time that he risks life and limb, getting into a car accident. As he keeps going — fast, furious, and bleeding — I thought, that’s me. And while Andrew in Whiplash is mostly driven by his critical, cruel, and relentless teacher, I was driven by my relentless and cruel inner critical voice and perfectionism.

It’s taken years for me to change my fast and furious inner critic to one that is slower, calmer, kinder, forgiving, and more mature.

Do you see anything fast and furious in my images for today?

On this International Day of Happiness, I’m happy that I can find moments of slow and calm in this fast and furious world.

Here’s what I find when I search for “fast and furious whiplash” on YouTube:

Thanks to all who help me be less fast and furious, including YOU.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: cats, clocks, Cod dish, International Day of Happiness, March 20 2024, Nerdstalgic, perfectionism, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the inner critic, What Makes Terence Fletcher One of the Scariest Villains in Film History, Whiplash | 6 Comments

Day 4095: Awkward!

Posted on March 19, 2024 by Ann Koplow

I’m sure I’ve already written an “Awkward!” blog post, but I don’t feel awkward about that.

I do feel awkward about

asking for what I want,
saying “no,”
confronting people,
expressing anger or disappointment,
mistakes,
keeping track of changing technology,
forgetting things I used to be able to remember,
revealing “too much” (whatever that is), and
having incomplete lists.

Do you see anything awkward in today’s images?

I do feel a little awkward bragging that I’m a social worker on World Social Work Day.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “awkward!”

I don’t feel particularly awkward asking for comments about this “Awkward!” post.

Thanks to all who help me feel less awkward, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: cats, March 19 2024, National Awkward Moments Day, salmon dish, The Daily Bitch Calendar, The Longwood Medical area, The Science of Awkwardness, Twitter, Vsauce, wild turkeys, World Social Work Day | 10 Comments

Day 4094: How to make life more enjoyable

Posted on March 18, 2024 by Ann Koplow

Today’s Daily Bitch calendar has an idea about how to make life more enjoyable.

Personally, I make life more enjoyable by (1) doing more enjoyable things and (2) spending more time with enjoyable creatures, which I hope is reflected in these images:

According to Dr. Dale Anderson (and others), acting happy can make life more enjoyable.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “how to make life more enjoyable.”

Thanks to all who make my life more enjoyable, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: Act Happy Day, cat names, cats, Dr. Dale Anderson, How to have more fun in your life, March 18 2024, Matt Weinstein, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston, threads, Twitter | 7 Comments

Day 4093: Better than expected

Posted on March 17, 2024 by Ann Koplow

Because I always dread doing my taxes (and filling out forms in general), working on them yesterday went better than expected.

Maybe my experiences would be better than expected if I let go of expectations (but maybe that’s too much to expect).

Are any of today’s images better than expected?

On Doctor-Patient Trust Day, I realize that my trust for doctors now is better than expected, considering that I encountered a very untrustworthy and hurtful doctor in when I was a child in the hospital. Maybe that’s because my ability to make good decisions once I have the power to choose is better than I expected.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “better than expected.”