Posts Tagged With: gifts

Day 4784: Optimism

Posted on February 6, 2026 by Ann Koplow

Despite everything that’s happening in the USA, I still wake up with optimism and choose to share that optimism with others.

I have optimism that you’ll agree that this is a good image for a blog post about optimism.

I captured that image yesterday on my way to an acupuncture appointment; I still have optimism about reducing the annoying clicking noises I hear whenever I talk or sing.

I also have optimism that the taped episode about my original songs will air on the Therapist Uncensored podcast soon.

I have optimism that my return to the Jam’n Java Open Mic tonight will go well.

And I have optimism that I might get a show at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

I am holding on to optimism while also practicing radical acceptance that outcomes might not be what I hope. I have optimism that I can maintain this tricky balance well enough.

Do you see optimism in my other images for today?

I have optimism that I’ll find something worth sharing when I search for “optimism” on YouTube.

My optimism was rewarded and I found this too!

Thanks to all who are here for this optimism post, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: cats, February 6 2026, fried chicken, gifts, Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman, The Daily Bitch Calendar, The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, The Optimism Bias TED talk by Tali Sharon, The Singing Therapist, Therapist Uncensored podcast, Twitter and Bluesky | 8 Comments

Day 4376: Happiness

Posted on December 25, 2024 by Ann Koplow

In the midst of these dark days, I can still find happiness, thanks to the wonderful people and cats in my life.

Do you see happiness in my images for today?

Here’s what I find when I look for “happiness” on YouTube:

Thanks to all who give me happiness, including YOU!!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: “How to Increase Your Happiness” from TED-Ed, Brother David Steindl-Rast, cats, Christmas get-together, December 25 2024, gifts, gratitude, loved ones, the afterlife, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter | 16 Comments

Day 4054: Compliments

Posted on February 7, 2024 by Ann Koplow

This is what I hear about compliments:

They often feel uncomfortable.
People yearn for them.
People don’t get enough of them.
People don’t know what to say in response.
The best response is “Thank you.”

Do you see compliments in today’s post?

If you wave all your fingers at your neighbor, is that a compliment?

Here’s what I find when I search for compliments on YouTube:

Thanks to all the wonderful people in my life who deserve more compliments, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: “Power of Compliments” by Shane Campbell, chocolate, February 7 2024, gifts, One Love, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston, Twitter, Wave All Your Fingers at Your Neighbor Day, Wordle, Yogi Tea | 10 Comments

Day 4010: What I like to share

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Ann Koplow

While yesterday I shared and aired grievances, what I like to share includes so much more.

What I like to share includes love, family, friends, cats, music, food, hope, good grammar and spelling, and the Daily Bitch Calendar.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “what I like to share.”

What do you like to share?

What I like to share always includes gratitude for YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: animals, Christmas Eve, December 25 2023, gifts, gratitude, grievances, love, Sesame Street, Sharing Song!, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter | 12 Comments

Day 3641: Blessings

Posted on December 20, 2022 by Ann Koplow

I often find it a challenge to focus on blessings instead of calamities, and I know I’m not alone in that.

Yesterday, when I was walking to work and focusing on everything that could possibly go wrong, I gave myself this blessing: “If you’re going to think about every danger that exists, you could also think about what’s safe.” And the blessing is that I immediately felt better.

I also asked myself this question: “If you knew that this was your last day in earth, how would you spend it?” and it was a blessing to realize that I would still go to work and facilitate groups.

Do you see blessings in my images for today?

Should we let the Daily Bitch have the last word about blessings today?

Here’s what I find when I search YouTube for “blessings.”

Thanks to all those who are blessings to me, including YOU.

Categories: definition, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: climate action, gifts, gratitude, group therapy, helpful self talk, Hollow Coves, National Daya December 20, National Days December 20 2022, The Daily Bitch Calendar, The Longwood Medical area | 10 Comments

Day 3281: The best present ever

Posted on December 25, 2021 by Ann Koplow

The best present ever, I think, is waking up to another day with people I love. It looks like I’m getting the best present ever again today.

Do you see the best present ever as I present today’s images to you?

It’s a present to me that I’m just now seeing that today is No “L” Day (which I’m presently realizing is a pun). If I had seen that before I started writing today’s blog, I might have felt compelled to leave L’s the hell out.

Instead, I’m leisurely going to lounge around and share the present of this lovely melody on No L day.

Last night I had the best present ever of singing that song together again with family and friends.

I have so much gratitude, here and now, for all the best presents ever, including YOU.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: cats, chocolates, Christmas 2021, gifts, gratitude, love, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the feast of 7 fishes, The First Noel, Twitter, ukulele | 12 Comments

Day 2192: Sunny skies

Posted on January 1, 2019 by Ann Koplow

On this first day of 2019, there are sunny skies in Boston.

There were also sunny skies on the last day of 2018, when I noticed this:

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“Sunny skies” is the name of the pen my boyfriend Michael gave me for Christmas.

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Have you ever noticed that when you look for sunny skies, you can find them, even when you’re indoors?

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An attitude of gratitude brings opportunities to see sunny skies wherever you go.

While I had an attitude of gratitude about Michael’s gift of the sunny skies pen, I couldn’t resist sending him this video, featuring John Cusack under some unsunny skies in Say Anything… and Grosse Pointe Blank. (Warning: contains a scene of pen-related violence.)

There are also sunny skies in this video that automatically started playing after that one — “Top 10 Unexpected Dance Scenes in Non-Dance Movies.” Dance scenes help me feel sunny, no matter what the weather.

There are also sunny skies in this forecast for our upcoming trip to Disney World, sent yesterday by my sunny niece Laura.

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More sunny skies: these four photos always pop up first whenever I try to access my latest images on my laptop. I don’t know why, but I’m glad to share them with you today.

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Again, an attitude of gratitude brings sunny skies, so sunny thanks to all who helped me create this first-of -2019 blog post and — of course! — to YOU.

Categories: gratitude, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: "John Cusack hates pens", "Top 10 Dance Scenes in Non-Dance Movies", Boston skies, gifts, Happy New Year, John Cusack, Monteverde pen, Sunny Skies pen, trip to Disney World, Yogi Tea | 19 Comments