Posts Tagged With: acceptance

Day 4387: What we can do

Posted on January 5, 2025 by Ann Koplow

When we’re feeling discouraged and powerless, it helps to focus on what we can do (instead of what we can’t do).

Because yesterday was National CanDo Day, I could ask this question on Twitter:

I can say that it always helps me to connect to others and get different perspectives.

I can take pictures of Joan, right now, and share them with you.

Also, even though I’m still having problems with congestion and with my phone, I can share today’s observances …

… and search for “what we can do” on YouTube.

What we can do is try to understand ourselves and others, as Sally Kohn is doing in her great TED talk What we can do about the culture of hate.

What we can do is express gratitude for the important people in our lives, including YOU.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: acceptance, cats, connection, gratitude, January 5 2025, National CanDo Day, overcoming obstacles, Sally Kohn, taking action, Twitter, What we can do about the culture of hate | 8 Comments

Yesterday morning, after I published my blog posts with some complaints, I noticed it was raining. I don’t like to complain, but that rain lasted the entire time the train went through the Canadian Rocky Mountains. I felt very selfish complaining about that, since the rain was sorely needed by this forrest-fire-stricken area.

I have no complaints about the precious time spent with my only son, and we even got an hour of clear viewing at the very end of the day.

Do you have any complaints about my images for today?

Well, I have a complaint. None of my images seem to be loading.

Wait! It looks like WordPress has loaded the list of today’s “ holidays and observances,” so I don’t want to hear any complaints about that.

Ooops! Wrong day!

I’ll try to load one more image, lest there be complaints from those who love my son.

Yay! Here is one more.

Any complaints?

Thanks to all who listen to all my bloggy complaints, including Maureen who lives in Vancouver (and is kindly putting us up for our stay there) and YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism, travel | Tags: acceptance, August 25 2024, Canadian Rocky Mountain train trip, family travel, gratitude, Twitter, Weather Complaint Day | 12 Comments

Day 4225: Being Peace

Posted on July 27, 2024 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, when I was trying to settle my mind, I went for a morning walk and listened to “Being Peace” by Thich Nhat Hanh.

As I practice being peace (instead of worrying about peace), the world looks different to me.

Here is “Being Peace.”

Thanks to all who are here for this “Being Peace” blog, including YOU.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: acceptance, being in the moment, gratitude, July 27 2024, Olympics moments, smiling, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston, Thich Nhat Hanh, Twitter | 6 Comments

Day 4199: Next to Normal

Posted on July 1, 2024 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, I saw the musical Next to Normal, starring my singing teacher Shereé Marcelle, for the second time. This time, I brought my good friend Deb, who was profoundly affected by the musical and the performers.

Do you see anything that seems next to normal in my images for today?

The Daily Bitch is always next to normal.

Here’s a video about the Central Square Theatre production of Next to Normal.

Thanks to all who are here for this next-to-normal post, including YOU.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism, theater | Tags: acceptance, ancestors, cats, July 1 2024, mental illness, Shereé Marcelle, The Central Square Theatre, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter, USA politics | 14 Comments

Day 4181: What cats can teach us

Posted on June 13, 2024 by Ann Koplow

I believe that we can learn from everyone and everything, including cats.

Can you see what cats can teach us in my images for today?

Cats have also taught me this: While I don’t like being micro-managed by managers, I don’t mind being micro-managed by cats.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “what cats can teach us.”

Thanks to cats and humans who teach me, including YOU!

Categories: cats, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: acceptance, being in the moment, Einzelgänger, June 12 2024, Lessons Learned, micro-managers, narratives, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter, What Cats Teach Us About Happiness | 10 Comments

Day 4032: Brace yourself

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Ann Koplow

Brace yourself for

the 2024 USA presidential race,
extreme weather,
the unexpected,
aging,
problematic bureaucracies and institutional systems,
heartbreaking injustices,
what the media chooses to report, and
yet another daily blog post from me.

I’m going to brace myself for yet another INR test this morning plus a colonoscopy next week, which I hope can be performed without a scalpel.

Here’s what I find when I search for “brace yourself” on YouTube.

Brace yourself for more gratitude from me!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: acceptance, “Brace urself”, cats, group therapy, INR, January 16 2024, love, Sza, The Prisoner, the South Shore of Boston, Without a Scalpel Day | 10 Comments

Day 3911: Enough

Posted on September 17, 2023 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, I decided I had done enough work on my song “I Don’t Wanna Be Late (Don’t Wanna Be Early Either”” to post a very long (13 minutes!) version on YouTube.

I honestly don’t know if anybody has enough time to listen to that whole thing.

And, apparently I haven’t written enough verses, because I just wrote this one:

Here are some quotes about enough.

I have a plan to make my song better and I hope I have enough time to do that today.

I think I have enough images to complete today’s blog post well enough.

Times up, so to express gratitude to you, I will end today’s post with one more quote about enough.

Categories: original song, personal growth, photojournalism, quotes | Tags: acceptance, “I Don’t Wanna Be Late (Don’t Wanna Be Early Either)”, good enough, gratitude, music, September 17 2023, songs that make you want to dance, the creative process, Twitter | 18 Comments

Day 3880: Super powers

Posted on August 17, 2023 by Ann Koplow

In yesterday’s Coping and Healing group, people were sharing what super powers they would choose, including reading people’s minds, flying, and healing the world. I chose to be Good Enough Girl, with the super powers to make people realize that they are good enough, here and now, exactly the way they are.

Do you see any super powers in my images for today?

I wish I had the super powers to make swing states turn blue.

Here’s what happens when I search YouTube for super powers:

Another one of my super powers is being Gratitude Gal, so thanks to all who are reading this Super Powers post, including YOU!

Categories: group therapy, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: acceptance, August 17 2023, cats, coping and healing groups, favorite jokes, gratitude, stripping a tin ceiling, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Top 10 Coolest Super Powers, Tufts Medical Center, watchmojo.com | 14 Comments

Day 3730: Awkward moments

Posted on March 19, 2023 by Ann Koplow

In an awkward moment last night, I asked this question on Twitter:

Just now, I had another awkward moment when I clicked on “1 Quote” to find the one tweet that had quoted mine and got this:

(Is it awkward that my punning mind looks at that bird and thinks, “Squackward!”?)

After I asked that question about awkward moments last night on Twitter, I had an awkward moment when I wished I had asked a different question, which was “How do you deal with awkward moments?” My answer to that question might be, “I recognize that we all have them, so what’s so bad about awkward moments anyway?”

Other awkward moments yesterday included getting a message on my laptop that said “your disk is almost full” and somebody farting (yes, I feel too awkward to reveal more details).

Do you see awkward moments in my blog post for today?

I’m having an awkward moment, right now, where that picture of Joan (with the newly installed shower seat, which will help me deal with awkward moments as I age) is reminding me of this:

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

I’m grateful for all the moments I get to share with you, including the awkward moments.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: 224 Boston Street Neighborhood Restaurant, acceptance, associations, “Most Awkward Public Moments Caught on Camera”, cats, Christina’s World, FailArmy, March 19 2023, shower remodel, the South Shore of Boston, Twitter | 18 Comments

Day 3729: It all worked out

Posted on March 18, 2023 by Ann Koplow

It all worked out when I married my second husband, Michael, who responds “It all worked out” whenever I tell him about my latest ups-and-downs adventure.

Here and now, I’m trying to work out the different way I’m saying “it all worked out” to myself these days, so I can communicate that to you.

For the first time in my life, I really believe it all worked out because

against all odds, I made it to the age of 70,
my son has what he needs to lead a good life,
I’ve made a positive difference in this world with my therapy groups (and maybe other things too),
I love and am loved,
I know that the daily hysteria of the news media is fueled by marketing strategies,
I don’t have to work so hard any more, and
no matter what comes up in the future— catastrophe, triumph, or anything in between (and most of them are in between) — I know it all worked out.

It all worked out when I gathered these images for you today.