Posts Tagged With: Pema Chodron

Day 4421: Voices

Posted on February 8, 2025 by Ann Koplow

Because there are so many disturbing voices in the news these days, I’ve been falling asleep at night listening to comforting voices including Pema Chödrön, Ram Dass, and lately Billy Crystal reading his autobiography.

I also love listening to the voices of my group members, family members, friends, and our cats (even though I don’t speak cat).

It’s wonderful listening to voices that are warm and welcoming …

… instead of voices that are hateful, divisive, manipulative, and dishonest.

Last night I voiced a question about voices on social media:

Are you ready for the voice of the Daily Bitch?

Is it a coincidence that I’m writing about voices on Opera Day?

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

Thanks to all who help me give voice to my thoughts and feelings here every day, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: Always Trust Your Inner Voice, Billy Crystal, cats, comforting voices, February 8 2025, Morgan Freeman, Opera Day, Pema Chodron, Ram Dass, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter | 10 Comments

Day 4405: Unacceptable

Posted on January 23, 2025 by Ann Koplow

It’s difficult to practice radical acceptance when so many things are unacceptable. I know I’m not alone in believing that many actions of the new USA administration are unacceptable.

How do we deal with the unacceptable? The first step is naming it.

Here are my other images for this “unacceptable” post.

Pema Chodron talks about accepting that we never finally have our shit together. However, we’ll need to have our shit together well enough to combat and survive the unacceptable all around us.

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

Now I’m hearing new words for the song “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole.

What are your thoughts and feeling about this unacceptable post?

Thanks to all who helped me create this unacceptable post, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: cats, eggplant parmigiana, January 23 2025, Lemongrab, Nat King Cole, Pema Chodron, radical acceptance, synonyms for hate, the current USA administration, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter | 14 Comments

Day 4283: Reaching people

Posted on September 23, 2024 by Ann Koplow

In hopes of reaching people, I uploaded new, live versions of four of my original songs to YouTube yesterday. Then I shared the new version of Don’t Kill Yourself on Twitter and Facebook.

So far, I’m not reaching many people, but I’ll keep trying.

Now I’m wondering how I’ll be reaching people with my images for today.

I’m very grateful to be reaching people like you, here and now.

Categories: original song, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: “Don’t Kill Yourself”, feelings about autumn, gratitude, harmonizing with Carol Goodman, Pema Chodron, September 23 2024, social media, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter, ways of reaching people | 11 Comments

Day 4217: Listening

Posted on July 19, 2024 by Ann Koplow

Rather than listening to the current cacophony of pundits and politicians, I’ve been listening to more comforting sounds.

I’ve also been listening to Pema Chôdrôn.

Thanks to all who are listening, here and now, including YOU.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: Entering the Challenge Zone, July 19 2024, nature, Pema Chodron, Sounds True, Stick Out Your Tongue Day, summer salad, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston, Twitter, World Listening Day | 8 Comments

Day 4204: Trouble sleeping

Posted on July 6, 2024 by Ann Koplow

Because of my fears about the upcoming USA elections, last night I had trouble sleeping.

Whenever I’m distressed, I do what I can to realize that I am not alone, like reaching out to friends who also have trouble sleeping. Because I have trouble disturbing anybody else’s sleep, I posted on Twitter.

While other people’s pain hurts, it did help to know that I wasn’t alone. So I finally fell back to sleep.

Earlier in the day of the night I had trouble sleeping, I asked these other questions on Twitter.

I wonder if I’ll have trouble sleeping again tonight? The word of the day doesn’t help.

Joan never has trouble sleeping.

I want to be more like Joan.

Harley doesn’t have trouble sleeping either, even though he is a very anxious kitty.

I wonder if the Daily Bitch ever has trouble sleeping.

Now, that’s a ridiculous coincidence because last night I also had trouble sleeping because I realized I had forgotten to take my pills the day before, which aways scares me.

Even though I had trouble sleeping last night, I won’t forget to post today’s World Observances.

Whenever I have trouble sleeping, I like to listen to a soothing voice, like Pema Chödrön’s.

What to do you do when you have trouble sleeping?

Thanks to all who are reading this “Trouble Sleeping” post, including YOU.

Categories: 2024 USA elections, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: cats, dogs, group therapy, July 6 2024, medicine, Pema Chodron, Relax into the Basic Energy, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the Word of the Day is “nadir”, Twitter | 12 Comments

Day 4120: Incredible

Posted on April 13, 2024 by Ann Koplow

Before I launch into this “incredible” post, I shall find an incredible definition for you.

Let’s see if there is anything incredible, unbelievable, beyond belief, extraordinary, magnificent, and/or wonderful in today’s blog.

It’s incredible how many people are really depressed and anxious these days. I see a lot of these incredible people in my therapy groups and it’s incredible how powerful it is for them to realize that they are not alone.

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

That’s an incredible interview of Paul Simon by Stephen Colbert.

Thanks to all the incredible people out there, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: animals, April 13 2024, “Life is Wonderful”, books, Dorchester Massachusetts, Drop Everything And Read Day, Paul Simon, Pema Chodron, Stephen Colbert, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter | 8 Comments

Day 4106: What’s been freaking me out

Posted on March 30, 2024 by Ann Koplow

As somebody who can freak about almost anything (including the latest news headlines, poll results, mistakes, paperwork, technology glitches, memory glitches, my own problems, other people’s problems, obligations, misunderstandings, performances, and other people’s anger), I am now going to report on what’s been freaking me out lately.

Nothing.

Why is what’s been freaking me out a null set?

My best guess is that it’s a combination of

Ongoing EMDR therapy,
Realizing that as an adult I am not alone (as I was as a young child in the hospital),
Spending more time with supportive, loving people and spending less time with those who are not,
Starting to practice Tai Chi again for the first time in decades,
Listening to Ram Dass, Pema Chödrön, and Michael Singer videos on YouTube before falling asleep,
Allowing myself to believe in my own skills, and
Realizing that freaking out doesn’t help anything.

Here are some things that have not been freaking me out.

I’m not freaking about about the RNC (Republican National Committee) because I am doing everything I can to ensure they will not prevail in the November election.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “what’s been freaking me out.”

Thanks to all who helped me create this what’s-been-freaking-me-out post, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: Ava Max, Easter Candy, EMDR therapy, March 30 2024, Michael Singer, National I Am in Control Day, Pema Chodron, Ram Dass, Republican National Committee, The Daily Bitch Calendar, The Grass is Always Browner on the Other Side Day | 14 Comments

Day 4068: Choosing positivity

Posted on February 21, 2024 by Ann Koplow

Earlier this week, as worries were trying to get my attention about the USA Presidential election, the state of the world, family members, my patients, chronic health issues, traveling, and doing taxes, I went with choosing positivity, and that helped.

Do you see choosing positivity in my images for today?

When I search for “choosing positivity” on YouTube, I find this.

Thanks to all who help me in choosing positivity, including YOU.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: Alison Ledgerwood, February 21 2024, fish cakes, Getting stuck in the negatives (and how to get unstuck), Love Your Pet Day, Pema Chodron, species, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston, the Three of Wands, Twitter | 14 Comments

Day 4004: Unconditional self love

Posted on December 19, 2023 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, in a therapy session, I suggested that somebody try unconditional self love. This person asked, “How would I do that?” and I replied, “Redirect some of that unconditional love you have for your children toward yourself.” When they said, “I don’t know how to do that,” I responded, “It’s difficult to do something for the first time, but I strongly recommend that you start trying NOW.”

Why is it so hard for us to have unconditional self love? Earlier in the day, somebody else expressed the fear of feeling too good about themselves. I asked, “Why don’t we have a fear of feeling too bad about ourselves?”

Is there unconditional self love in any of my images for today?

Here’s what I find when I search for “unconditional self love” on YouTube.

Unconditional love for all that are here, now, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism, Psychotherapy | Tags: “Unconditional Self-Love: A New Family Paradigm”, Calendars, cats, December 18 2023, feelings chart, holiday gifts, Pema Chodron, salmon dish, Terri Britt, ugly clothes | 9 Comments

Day 3484: What Helps

Posted on July 26, 2022 by Ann Koplow

In my office at the hospital, I have two giant lists of What Helps.

What helps me is remembering facilitating therapy groups in that room years ago and continually adding to that list of “What Helps.”

What helps is to know that people in groups can be creative, supportive, and resilient despite trauma, losses, and diagnoses like anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other “disorders.”

What helps in my other images for today?